Time to Go Home
by purastella
Summary: It was obvious to Hermione that some outside force was at work here; Henry's strange appearance with a magical storybook in tow provided enough evidence that something bigger was going on, though what it had to do with her sister she was unsure. Hermione just hoped that he was wrong and that it had nothing to do with fairytales- she'd had enough of those to last her a lifetime.
1. Chapter 1

**(A/N): Many thanks to my lovely friend hannbells for being willing to listen to me ramble on about this story while getting my plot down. She's honestly the best.**

 **The timelines are going to be all weird in this so just roll with it. The story starts a few months after the end of the Second Wizarding War and at the beginning of the first episode for OUAT.**

 **The title of this story and the lyrics in this chapter comes from "Journey (Ready to Fly)" by Natasha Blume which is a fantastic song and I highly recommend you listen to it and be as awed as I was when I first heard it.**

 **Any familiar dialogue comes directly from OUAT Season 1 Episode 1 and belongs solely to its creators. Sadly.**

* * *

 _When you commit to a path_

 _I guess you are on your own_

 _Follow your dreams to a place_

 _A space, the grace_

 _That takes you home_

Hermione placed the candles on the cake and then lit them with a wave of her fingers. Her ability to use wandless magic was definitely improving, a fact she was glad for since she had never been able to recover her wand from the Snatchers who took it. She knew that she should go buy another wand but that would mean reentering the Wizarding World, something she was not prepared to do. The whole reason she was currently living with her sister was so that she could get away from Wizarding Society and all the terribleness that went with it.

The front door unlocking caught Hermione's attention and she froze, a familiar panic settling over her. The sound of her sister slamming the door with a muttered curse caused her to relax and she raced over to the front entryway. "Welcome home!"

Emma jumped, her head snapping up. She immediately relaxed upon realizing who had greeted her and gave a tired smile. "Hey." Leaning against the wall next to the door, she pulled off her heels with a relieved sigh. As soon as she had straightened up, Hermione walked over and gave her a tight hug. Emma tensed for a moment before letting her muscles go lax, hugging Hermione back just as tightly. The two sisters just stood there for a moment, enjoying the fact that they were both back together and safe after a horrifying year.

Hermione pulled back first and noticed the stain on Emma's dress. "What happened?"

"Guy decided to throw a table in his attempt at a quick getaway," Emma scowled, glancing down at the wine on her pink dress and realizing that she was probably not going to be able to get it out now that it'd had time to set.

"I should be able to fix that," Hermione told her, knowing what her older sister was thinking. "But first," she grabbed Emma's hand, dragging her to the kitchen. "Happy birthday!" she told her softly, squeezing her hand. "I would sing for you but I remember how much you hate the song."

She heard Emma swallow and felt her squeeze her hand back just as tightly. "Thanks."

Hermione didn't comment, just grabbed a gift bag she had left on one of the stools and presented it to Emma. "Figured you would appreciate this gift best of all."

Emma quirked an eyebrow and took the bag hesitantly. Once she opened it and saw what was inside, she laughed. "This is perfect," she told her, pulling out the large bottle of Firewhiskey. "Just what I need after my day."

"Glad you like it." Hermione pushed Emma toward one of the chairs and then bustled around the kitchen, pulling out two plates, forks, and a knife to cut the cake with. "So, besides the table-turning incident, how did it go tonight?"

Emma sighed, popping open the bottle and pouring some into a nearby glass. "Not as bad as it could have been I suppose."

Hermione could tell that something about the man she had nabbed was upsetting her but didn't pry. "At least you didn't have to tackle this one."

Emma gave a short laugh. "Yeah, at least that wasn't necessary."

Hermione sat down in the seat next to her sister. "Are you ready to make a wish?"

Emma looked over at Hermione and took in the sight of her curly-haired baby sister. She may have gotten older, and their lives may have taken them in separate directions, but Emma still saw her as the little girl begging Emma to read her a story. "I've got you," she stated simply. "That's all I need."

Hermione's eyes welled with tears and she scooted her chair closer to her older sister and leaned her head against her shoulder. "I missed you so much while I was gone. There were so many times I wished I could talk to you because I had no idea what I was doing."

Emma wrapped her arms around her and hugged her tightly. "You survived," she told her softly but firmly. "You're here, you're alive, and you don't have to run anymore. Like I told you earlier, you can stick with me for as long as you want."

Hermione nodded and then pulled away a moment later. "Right, think of something to wish for so that I can cut the cake."

Emma smiled at her abrupt change of subject. She thought for a moment and the one thing she had been trying not to think about for years popped into her head. Instead of instantly shutting down that train of thought, she gave herself a moment to truly think about one of her greatest regrets and then made her wish.

As soon as the flame went out, there was a knock at the door.

They looked at each other in surprise. "Were you expecting anyone?" Hermione asked.

Emma shook her head. "Pretty late for random visitors," she commented.

They both got up and headed to the front door, Emma getting there first and pulling the door open to reveal a small boy with messy brown hair. "Can I help you?" she asked, obviously confused.

"Are you Emma Swan?" he asked.

"Yeah. Who are you?"

"My name is Henry," he told her, and Hermione could see his hands clenching into fists in his pocket. "I'm your son."

Emma froze and Hermione immediately took charge, walking closer to the door and gently nudging Emma to the side. "Hello," she said softly, hoping that if she remained calm then Emma would as well. "My name is Hermione. Would you like to come in?"

Henry stared at her for a moment and then gave a small smile. "Sure."

"Wait a minute," Emma protested, as Henry ducked past them and hurried down the hallway, seemingly afraid of being shut outside in the hallway despite the invitation to come in. "I don't have a son! Where are your parents?" she hurried down the hallway after Hermione and Henry.

Henry stopped in the kitchen and stared at the cake on the table. "Can I have a piece of cake?" he asked Hermione.

He had such an innocent, trusting gaze and Hermione felt like she had been kicked in the stomach. It had been a long time since she had been around anyone who was still as untainted by the horrors of life as this boy seemingly was. "Of course. You like chocolate, I presume?"

"Who doesn't?" he asked, climbing onto a stool and grinning happily at her as she cut him a large piece of cake and set a plate and fork in front of him.

"Hey, kid!" Emma cried, her panic rising. "Your parents?"

Henry swallowed a mouthful of cake. "Ten years ago. Did you give up a baby for adoption?" He paused to let her respond but Emma just stared at him, stunned. "That was me."

It was silent for a moment and then Emma seemed to unfreeze. "Give me a minute," was all she said before she raced into the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

Hermione sighed. "Well," she said as she turned back to Henry. "You've given her quite a shock, haven't you?"

Henry just grinned at her, his lips covered in frosting. "Can I have some juice?"

Hermione grabbed a glass and walked over to the fridge with a small smile on her face. There was no doubt in her mind that this was Emma's child based off of his sheer nerve alone. She poured him some orange juice and set the glass in front of him. "I must say, I am impressed at your having been able to locate Emma at such a young age. Emma always has been rather good at finding people though. How did you manage it?"

"I found a website that helps kids put up for adoption find their real parents," he told her and she could tell he was trying to sound more confident than he was actually feeling.

"Hmm," Hermione responded, slightly curious as to how such a website would work. Her years spent in the wizarding world had hampered her ability to keep up with the latest technological and internet-based breakthroughs.

"How do you know Emma?" Henry asked, finishing off his last bite of cake.

Before she could answer him, Emma came walking back out of the bathroom. Henry straightened up at the sight of her and hopped off his stool. "You know," he told her, wiping off any traces of food on his mouth with his coat sleeve. "We should probably get going."

"Going where?" Emma asked, crossing her arms over her chest and trying to adopt a harsh look.

"I want you to come home with me," Henry stated with a smile.

Emma's jaw dropped open. "Okay, kid. I'm calling the cops." She started towards the phone.

Before Hermione could stop her, Henry said, "Then I'll tell them you kidnapped me."

"And they'll believe you because I'm your birth mother," Emma sighed and Hermione knew that her sister was thinking the same thing she was: that was exactly what Emma would have said had she been in Henry's place.

"Yep."

"You're not going to do that," Emma stated, gaining her confidence back.

"Try me," Henry told her, and if Hermione hadn't been able to tell from Emma's face that he was lying, she would have believed him. It amazed her how similar their attitudes were and she enjoyed watching mother and son try to outwit one another.

"You're pretty good," Emma started, voice filled with confidence and a sure look on her face. "But here's the thing- there's not a lot I'm all that great at but I do have one skill- let's call it a superpower." Hermione was amused that Emma's gift was still known as her superpower, a term that had been decided on when Hermione had been younger and her father had let her watch Superman with him. "I can tell when anyone is lying and you, kid, are." She started to dial the police on the phone.

Henry's face crumbled and Hermione felt her heart almost break. She had seen that look before only then it had been on Emma's face and Hermione couldn't help that she desperately wanted to do whatever it took to take his sadness away. She stepped forward to stand behind her newly-returned nephew, her toes automatically digging into the shag rug. "Wait," he pleaded, before Hermione could interject. "Please don't call the cops. Please, come home with me."

Emma paused. "Where's home?"

Henry looked slightly hopeful. "Storybrooke, Maine."

"Storybrooke? Seriously?" Emma looked almost disgusted.

Henry nodded. "Mmhmm."

Emma looked over at Hermione, who gave her a stubborn look and nodded firmly. "Alrighty, then," Emma sighed. "Let's get you back to Storybrooke."

Henry gave her a large grin and Hermione was equally pleased. She had always been sad to have never been able to meet her nephew, though she understood why Emma felt that she had to give him up, and the idea of being able to spend time with him now was too good to pass up on. Hermione only hoped that this wouldn't end up hurting Emma any more than she'd already been.

 _You don't have to tell me once or twice_

 _Wonder why we're here_

 _We just gotta stop the flood_

 _Before we lose it all_

 _And drown from fear_

They were all piled into Emma's vintage yellow Volkswagen Bug, Emma and Henry in the front seats and Hermione small frame shoved into the back. Emma had tried to insist on Hermione sitting in the front with her but Hermione stated she would rather take the backseat so that she could stretch out her legs; she was uncomfortable leaving her back vulnerable, even if just to a ten-year-old boy.

The inside of the car was silent for a while before Henry said, "I'm hungry. Do you wanna stop somewhere?"

Emma shot that idea down immediately. "This is not a road trip. We're not stopping for snacks."

Before Henry could reply, Hermione spoke up. "I have snacks." Emma turned in her seat to give her an incredulous look and Hermione shrugged. "I've found it's always good to carry some food around with you in case of emergency. And watch the road!"

Henry turned to face her and she dug around in her bag, pulling out a box of Teddy Grahams. His face lit up and he exclaimed, "Those are my favorites!"

Hermione smiled back at him. "Ours as well. We used to have this for a snack almost every day." She handed the box to him and he quickly opened it, pulling out a handful of bears and shoving them into his mouth.

"You never did say how you knew Emma," he reminded her after he had eaten another handful and Emma had gone back to driving in silence. He sat sideways in his seat, his back against the door, so as to be able to look at her while they spoke.

"We're sisters," she informed him.

His face paled and she watched him clutch a large book to his chest. "What?" he whispered. "That's impossible." His voice was getting louder and he turned to face Emma. "You can't be sisters. You're an only child!"

Emma gave him a sharp look. "How would you know that?"

Henry floundered for an answer and Hermione decided to intervene, although she too was very curious as to how Henry could have known that. "Emma didn't join our family until she was eight. Our mum always says that the oldest child always takes the longest to come and meet the family, though Emma took that fact to a whole new level." She grinned at the back of Emma's head and saw Emma glance back at her in the rearview mirror with a small smirk. It had always amused them both when their mother would answer about Emma's adoption. She'd always had a different answer for every person who asked.

"Oh," Henry said, letting out a rush of air. "So, you're not blood related; she's adopted."

Hermione shrugged. "I suppose that's the legal way of looking at it but when it comes down to it she's my sister, blood or not."

Henry nodded and then looked down at his book. "What's that?" Emma asked, wanting to change the subject.

Henry glanced up at her and then looked back down at his book. "I'm not sure you're ready."

Emma gave him a look that was part incredulous and part amused. "I'm not ready for some fairytales?"

"They're not fairytales," Henry told her, a grave look on his face. "They're true. Every story in this book actually happened."

"Of course they did," Emma muttered.

"Use your superpower," Henry challenged. "See if I'm lying."

Emma studied him for a moment and then quickly looked back at the road. "Just because you believe something doesn't make it true."

Hermione stiffened in her seat. Emma's superpower was never wrong and if it said that Henry was telling the truth then…

"That's exactly what makes it true," Henry retorted, pulling Hermione's attention back to the conversation. "You should know more than anyone."

"Why's that?" Emma asked.

"Because you're in this book." Hermione's eyes widened and she leaned forward, staring intently at the book.

"Oh, kid," Emma sighed. "You've got problems."

"Yep. And you're gonna fix'em," he told her.

They were both so focused on one another that neither one of them noticed Hermione grow pale or the brief flash of panic that crossed her face. Hermione stared at the book and felt the magic that was imbedded in it, magic that seemed to be growing stronger the longer it was near them. It was obvious to Hermione that some outside force was at work here, Henry's strange appearance with a magical book in tow providing evidence that something bigger was going on, though what it had to do with her sister she was unsure.

Hermione hoped it had nothing to do with fairytales. She'd had enough of those to last her a lifetime.

 _But let me tell you_

 _I'm ready to fly_

 _I survived through rainstorms, sandstorms_

 _I fought the war_

 _Now it's time to go home_

The closer they got to Storybrooke, the more worried Hermione became. A sense of fear was slowly creeping over her and she couldn't help feeling as though something awful would happen if they didn't turn back now. If she had been the one driving, Hermione knew she would have already turned the car round and headed back.

It wasn't until they actually crossed the town line that Hermione felt herself relax and she instantly realized what had happened: someone had placed a barrier over Storybrooke to keep any unwelcomed visitors out. It was similar to the wards around Hogwarts, except those just caused non-magical people to become distracted and wander away from the projected ruins before forgetting about the castle entirely. These wards were much more insidious, causing any intruders, no matter their intent, to fear for their lives should they take another step closer. Hermione hadn't been expecting for such wards to be placed around a seemingly non-magical community in Maine.

After finally reaching the center of town and acquiring Henry's address from a man who Henry claimed was Jiminy Cricket, they pulled up in front of a large white house.

"Great," groaned Emma, spotting a police car a little way down the street from them. She got out of the Bug and then pulled her seat forward so that Hermione could climb out, automatically reaching out a hand to steady her when she stumbled.

Henry exited the car soon after and followed them up the walkway. "Please don't take me back there," he begged.

"I have to," Emma told him. "I'm sure your parents are worried sick about you."

"I don't have parents. Just a mom and she's evil."

They stopped and turned to face Henry. "Evil?" asked Hermione, keeping her voice low. "Don't you think you're being a little harsh?"

"She is," Henry insisted. "She doesn't love me. She only pretends to." The sadness in his voice seemed to affect Emma just as much as it did Hermione.

Emma crouched down to Henry's level. "Kid… I'm sure that's not true."

Before Henry could respond, the door flew open a woman with dark hair in a light grey dress raced towards them. "Henry!" she cried, throwing her arms around him. "Henry. Are you okay? Where have you been?" She seemed to finally notice Emma and Hermione standing next to Henry and she straightened up. "What happened?" she asked, her voice noticeably cooler.

Henry glared at her. "I found my real mom."

He pushed past her and ran into the house, passing a man Hermione assumed to be an officer due to his uniform, and out of sight. Regina stared at Emma in what seemed to be a mixture of shock and horror. "Y-you're Henry's birth mother?"

"Hi," Emma said awkwardly, attempting a smile.

An awkward silence fell over the group, no one sure what to say, until the man lurking near the front door spoke in an Irish brogue. "I'll just go check on the lad. Make sure he's alright." He hurriedly disappeared into the house and Hermione envied his easy escape.

Hermione studied the Mayor as she took a deep breath and forced a smile onto her face. "How would you like a glass of the best apple cider you've ever tasted?"

"Got anything stronger?" Emma asked, not even pretending to be joking. Hermione could see the fatigue on her sister's face and posture and looped her arm through hers, a silent reminder that she didn't have to deal with this alone.

"Of course," the Mayor said, studying them. "I'm sorry but I didn't catch your names…"

"I'm Emma Swan and this is my sister, Hermione." Hermione nodded at the Mayor but kept quiet.

"I'm Regina Mills. Please, come in." She led them up the stairs and through the entry into what Hermione assumed to be the dining room.

As Regina was about to go get the offered drinks Hermione asked, "Excuse me, but is there a restroom I could use?"

Regina's eyebrows furrowed, obviously surprised by her accent. "Of course. There's one at the end of the hall to your left or you may use the one at the top of the stairs."

Hermione nodded in thanks and exited the room as quickly as possible, leaving Emma lurking in the doorway. She climbed the stairs and entered the bathroom, studying it with a critical eye. Both of her parents were dentists, and obsessively clean to boot, but even their bathrooms didn't look as neat as this one did.

Once she used the facilities and washed her hands, she quietly opened the door and crept out, tiptoeing down the hall. After pausing for a moment to make sure Emma and Regina were still talking, she followed the sound of the voices until she reached an open door. Peering inside, she saw Henry lying on a bed, back turned to the door and the officer from before sitting on the edge of the bed near his feet.

"You shouldn't worry your mum like that," he was telling Henry.

"She's not my mom," came Henry's muffled reply.

The man looked up and spotted Hermione lurking in the doorway and he stood up. "Can I help you?" he asked, face guarded.

"I just wanted to say goodbye to Henry," she told him, and Henry immediately rolled over and sat up upon hearing her voice. He just looked at her, not saying a word as she walked into the room and sat next to him. "You alright?" she asked softly, trying to ignore the man's gaze on her.

Henry shrugged and then gave her a sad look. "You guys are leaving, aren't you?"

Hermione sighed and then looked up at the officer still hovering over them. "Would you mind giving us a moment to speak in private?"

He hesitated, obviously not comfortable leaving Henry with a stranger. "It's fine, Sheriff, she's my aunt," Henry told him. The Sheriff frowned but nodded and left the room, after very pointed telling Henry he'd be right out in the hallway if he was needed.

Hermione looked at Henry with raised eyebrows. "Sheriff? Seems like your disappearance caused quite the commotion. Didn't you even leave a note?"

Henry sighed. "I didn't think anybody would notice. Not like the Evil Queen cares about me. I guess it would have looked bad if she didn't tell anyone I had left. I'll have to remember that for next time."

"Next time? Already planning on escaping again?" she asked, filing away the knowledge that his adopted mother was apparently the Evil Queen that he'd claimed cursed everyone. He didn't answer and Hermione sighed. "Listen, the more you try to run the tighter she'll try to keep ahold of you and the more attention you'll call to yourself. If she is hiding something, then bringing any more attention on yourself is the last thing you want."

Henry sat up and shifted closer to her, eyes wide and full of hope. "You believe me?!"

Hermione kept an even look on her face. "Let's just say that I have an open mind."

Henry was almost bouncing on the bed in excitement. "That's all you need and you'll see! You'll see I'm right! This town really is cursed and Emma's the only one who can break it!"

She stared at him and prayed he was wrong. "Before I make any decisions, I need to have all the facts. Would you mind if I borrowed your book?"

A guilty look crossed his face before he quickly looked away. Hermione studied him for a moment. "You left it in the car, didn't you?"

Henry looked at her in amazement. "How'd you figure it out so fast?"

Hermione smiled at him. "It's a gift." She stood up. "I better get back downstairs before my absence is noticed."

Henry stood up too, obviously reluctant to see her go. "Will I see you tomorrow?"

"We'll see," Hermione told him, unsure whether or not she would be able to convince Emma to stay. At Henry's downcast expression, Hermione knelt down so she was eye level. "Hey," she said gently, moving her head so that she could meet his eyes. "You're not getting rid of me that easily. I've wanted to meet you since Emma first told us what happened. You're family, and that means that you're stuck with me for life. Alright?"

Henry smiled at her and then threw his arms around her neck. Hermione almost fell over in shock before she hesitantly hugged him back. It was obvious to her that this boy was starved for affection and she wasn't too surprised; the mayor didn't seem to the hugging type despite her reaction when they first got here.

He pulled back a moment later and gave her a large smile. "I'll see you later."

Hermione straightened up and grinned back at him. "Count on it," she told him, ruffling his hair as she left the room.

The Sheriff was standing a few feet down the hallway, leaning against the wall with his eyes closed. They snapped open at the sound of her footsteps and he straightened. "Everything alright?"

Hermione nodded. "He's just tired."

The Sheriff sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. "He had us all running scared."

Hermione shrugged. "He's a ten year old boy, it's what they do."

He studied her for a moment before giving her a small smile. "I'm Sheriff Graham Humbert by the way."

Hermione smiled back and then shook his proffered hand. "I'm Hermione, Emma's sister. It's nice to meet you."

They started walking back down the hall towards the stairs. "You're a long way from home," Graham commented.

Hermione was amused. "The same could be said about you."

Graham flushed slightly and then shrugged. They reached the stairs and as they were walking down Graham said, "Madam Mayor, you can relax. Other than being a tired little boy, Henry's fine."

Regina and Emma were standing in the hallway. "Thank you, Sheriff." He nodded and then left without another word.

Hermione sensed that, while Regina was willing to act the part of gracious hostess, she would much rather be seeing the back of them. Hermione was more than happy to oblige her in this instance and, before she could start a conversation that could potentially lead Emma to saying something that she shouldn't, Hermione interrupted. "Well, it's getting rather late. We really should be heading out."

Emma gave her a curious look but didn't say anything. She handed her glass back to Regina and they walked to the front door. "What was that all about?" Emma asked as they walked down the path to the car.

Hermione shrugged. "She seems to enjoy having control over every aspect of her life and I thought it would be better if we left before you said something you shouldn't."

Emma frowned at her as she opened the driver's side door. "What do you mean by that?"

Hermione opened her door and got in, quickly sliding Henry's book off the seat and onto the floor before Emma noticed it. "Just that she might have been upset at something that Henry told us and I don't want him to get into any trouble."

"She's not that bad," Emma argued, putting the car into drive and heading to the main road that would lead them out of town.

"Because of how she treated you?" Hermione asked with a raised eyebrow. "If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals."

"Who said that?" asked Emma, momentarily distracted.

"Doesn't matter." Memories of an empty arch and Remus' voice whispering _Sirius didn't make it_ flashed across her eyes before she locked them away. "We should probably stop somewhere and ask if there's a hotel we can stay at," Hermione told her, switching subjects abruptly.

Emma gave her a surprised look. "Why? It's not that late; I'll be fine driving us back to Boston."

"I don't want to go back to Boston," Hermione told her calmly. "I want to stay here so that we can see whether or not Henry is right about his town."

Emma pulled over to the side of the road and parked the car before turning fully in her seat so that she could face Hermione. "What do you mean, 'see whether or not Henry is right'? Of course he's not right! Fairytales aren't real, and there's no way this town is under a curse. The kid just has a wild imagination."

Hermione gave Emma a disappointed look. "There was once a time you would have said the same thing about magic. And all fairytales have a grain of truth to them; it's possible that Henry's right. Unlikely, I'll admit, but possible."

"But fairytales have been around for centuries," Emma argued. "If these people are all fairytale characters then they should be dead."

Hermione bit her lip, deep in thought. "Not necessarily. When I first got to Hogwarts, I was curious about whether non-magical fairytales had any roots in the magical world. I found a book that speculated that people like the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Anderson were actually seers, that the stories they told were actually visions. That's why their stories are still read till this day; the stories are infused with a bit of their authors magic because of the visions showing them their tales. It's possible that what those men were seeing weren't actually people and stories from our world but from another one; the one these fairytale characters had come from."

"I thought you said it was unlikely that Henry was right," Emma said, trying to keep calm. "Sounds to me like now you're just trying to talk yourself into believing the kid."

Hermione grabbed her sisters hand, trying to impart the seriousness of their situation. "Emma, regardless of whether or not Henry's curse is real, this town is saturated with magic and there is a barrier keeping the citizens who live here trapped within its limits. It also seems to be shielded from the outside world; I don't think we would have been able to find this place without Henry directing us. I'm not sure why the wards didn't affect you but I could feel the effects of them. You can't even sense the magic here unless you are within the town limits."

Emma swallowed and looked down, her hair falling over to shoulders to shield her face from view. Hermione sat patiently, waiting for her to gather her thoughts and decide how she wanted to proceed. "If we left," Emma started without looking up. "Would we be able to come back later?"

Hermione thought about it, pushing her magic out to the barrier surrounding the town and trying to figure out the different facets of its ability. "I don't know. The barrier is there both to hide the town and trap the people here. Since we've already crossed through, we have been touched by the magic infusing the barrier."

"So, we're trapped here?" Emma sounded like she was on the verge of panicking.

"No," Hermione hastened to reassure her. "Because we weren't placed under whatever spell was cast, we aren't contained within the barrier. But, since we passed through the barrier, there should be a certain amount of residual magic covering us and we should be able to pass through again without having to be accompanied by someone who lives here."

Emma nodded and they sat in silence for a moment before she said, "Alright, here's what we're going to do. We're going to head back to Boston, pick up enough things to last for a week or so while we're here, and come back tomorrow. We'll get a room, you'll do your magic thing and figure out what's going on here, and then we'll get the hell out of dodge. Agreed?"

Hermione nodded at her, deciding it would be best if she didn't mention that she was positive that it would take much longer than a week to get things sorted out, and Emma shifted the car back into drive and pulled out onto the road leading out of town.

"Besides," Hermione spoke, trying to lighten the mood. "We will have to return this as soon as possible." She pulled Henry's storybook off the floor and onto her lap.

Emma shook her head with a look of both exasperation and a touch of wistfulness. "Sneaky bastard," she commented.

Hermione smiled and then looked back up at the road. "Watch out!" she screamed.

Emma's head snapped up and she started at the sight of a grey and white wolf standing in the middle of road. She pulled on the wheel and the car skidded off to the side of the road, hitting the sign welcoming all to Storybrooke. The force of the crash caused both girls to hit their heads and Hermione's door to swing open. The last thing she felt before unconsciousness overtook her was the feel of the rain soaking into her clothes and streaming down her face.

 _Let me tell you_

 _I'm ready to fly_

 _I survived through rainstorms, sandstorms_

 _I fought the war_

 _Now it's time to go home_

 _It's time to go home_

 _It's time to go home_

 ** _Please leave a review on your way out!_**


	2. Chapter 2

**(A/N): Just want to give a shout-out to everyone who read, favorited, and/or followed this story! I'm glad to know people out there are reading and enjoying it. Special thanks to Beastly Beast of Beastliness, dixie326, and dragonmia for reviewing- I loved hearing your thoughts!**

 **Lyrics from this chapter are also from "Journey (Ready to Fly)" by Natasha Blume since I'm doing one song per OUAT episode. Check it out if you haven't already yet!**

 **Any familiar dialogue comes directly from OUAT Season 1 Episode 1 and belongs solely to its creators.**

 **Thanks again to Hannbells!**

* * *

 _Walking through the dark, alone, no clothes_

 _Striking the light_

 _Burning for the heat, the fire, the sparks, the love_

 _To keep me alive_

A steady beeping greeted Hermione as she became consciousness. She frowned, unsure of what the sound was. It didn't sound like Emma's alarm clock…

Her eyes snapped open. Emma. Henry. Storybrooke. The car crash. She pushed herself up as quickly as possible and was instantly hit by a wave of vertigo. Hermione felt hands on her shoulders, gently pushing her back down onto the bed, and she didn't bother resisting. She turned slowly to see who else was in the room with her and saw Sheriff Graham sitting next her.

"Easy now," he told her softly. "You got quite a knock on the head."

"What happened?" she croaked, her throat dry as parchment. "Where's Emma?"

Graham reached over and picked up a glass of water, helping her to sit up slightly and take a few sips, something she was exceedingly grateful for. "Emma's fine. You two seemed to have gotten into a crash last night on your way out of town. You hit your head harder than she did so they wanted to keep you overnight for observation."

Hermione glanced around the room and realized that she was in a hospital and the beeping she had heard was a heart monitor. "Where's Emma?" she repeated.

Graham sighed. "At the police station. Couldn't exactly just let her go free after she crashed; drunk driving is illegal in this town."

Hermione frowned at him. "You didn't even bring her here to get checked out? Was she conscious when you found her? There's no way she would have let me come to the hospital without her." Her frown became more severe at Graham's guilty expression. "You didn't bother to get her looked at? She wasn't even drunk! There was a wolf in the road and the rain made the pavement slippery so when she swerved to miss it we hydroplaned."

Grahams eyebrows shot up. "There haven't been any wolves spotted in this part of Maine for as long as I can remember."

"Really? And how long would that be, exactly?" she asked archly. Graham stared at her in obvious confusion and she sighed. "Never mind. I would like to see my sister now."

He nodded and stood up. "Let's just have the doctor take a quick look at you and give the all clear before we leave." At her nod of agreement, he turned and left the room.

Hermione sat up carefully, pausing for a moment to let the dizziness pass. After she was sure she wouldn't collapse if she stood up, she pulled off the wires they were using to check her heart rate and pushed herself up. She winced at the loud beeping sound the machine made but ignored it in favor of grabbing her clothes and slipping into the bathroom. When she came back out, Graham was waiting for her, along with a blond man in a white coat who finally managed to stop the noise. "Hello," he greeted her. "I'm Doctor Whales."

"Hello."

He pulled out a penlight and stepped towards her. "If you wouldn't mind, I just need you to follow the light with your eyes. I promise this will be quick and easy."

Hermione barely restrained herself from rolling her eyes at him and instead did as she was directed, following first the light with her eyes and then following his finger. He clicked the light off and then returned it to his pocket with a smile. "You are good to go. We ran tests last night when the good sheriff brought you in and there were no issues but we wanted to wait till you were awake to give the all clear. No obvious issues, but if you start having headaches or feeling dizzy you'll need to come back. Any questions?"

"No," she told him, stepping away from him and towards Graham. "Thank you very much."

"No problem," he said, looking between her and the Sheriff with an undo amount of interest. "You take care of yourself. Sheriff." And with a nod he was gone.

Hermione turned back to Graham. "You heard him, I'm perfectly healthy. Can I please see my sister now?"

"Of course. First though," he walked over to the chair by her bed and lifted a bag off the floor. He handed it to her and she looked inside, surprised and relieved to see Henry's book. "You were holding that when we found you. After you," he told her, gesturing to the door.

She walked past him and out into the hallway. "Thank you."

They walked out of the hospital and to his cruiser in silence. After they were both inside and buckled Hermione asked, "Do you always drive your work car everywhere?"

Graham chuckled. "Yes. I'm the only officer this town has so even when I'm not at the station I'm still on duty."

Hermione was surprised. Even though this was quite a small town, surely it was irresponsible to have only one officer to make up the entire police force.

Graham seemed to know what she was thinking. "It's no trouble really," he reassured her. "We rarely have any crime here other than when Leroy, the town drunk, makes some sort of spectacle of himself."

Hermione nodded and then changed the subject. "Was our car okay?"

"Not a scratch on it. I had it towed to the police station after we took care of you and your sister." They reached the station and Hermione was able to see for herself that Emma's precious Bug was in the exact condition it was in before the crash.

"Seems we have quite a few things to thank you for," Hermione told him and she was amused by the way his face flushed slightly in embarrassment.

They got out of the car and Graham led the way into the station. Once they made it to the inner room, a feat that didn't take nearly as long as she would have thought since there was almost no security, Graham walked over to the cell on the left and began to talk to a man he called Leroy while Hermione raced over to Emma. "Are you okay?" she asked, relieved to see no obvious injuries.

Emma nodded and leaned against the bars of her cell. "Care to share why you thought it was necessary to lock me up?" she shot at the Sheriff.

"My apologies," he told her, unlocking her door. "I had thought that the reason you crashed was due to being intoxicated but your sister corrected the matter."

Emma scowled at him. "You thought I was drunk? Did you even bother to check my alcohol level or did you just assume?"

Graham shuffled uncomfortably and Emma decided to take pity on him. "It's fine. I probably would have thought the same thing."

Before he could respond, Regina came running into the station. "Graham! Henry's run away again. We have to-" she paused when she spotted Emma and Hermione and her tone swiftly changed. "What are they doing here? Do either of you know where he is?" Her demanding tone grated at Hermione and her shoulders hunched.

Emma placed a soothing hand on her younger sisters shoulder and answered Regina. "No, we haven't. We've got quite the alibi if you're that suspicious though."

"Yeah, well, he wasn't in his room this morning," Regina told them, quickly reigning in her anger at them still being here.

"Did you try his friends?" Hermione asked, trying to keep a hold on her own temper.

"He doesn't really have any," Regina stated, as if that was completely normal. "He's kind of a loner."

"Every kid has friends," Emma said, and Hermione could tell she was remembering a time when she didn't have any friends or family. She leaned against her, feigning exhaustion, and Emma wrapped an arm around her waist and squeezed, silently telling her that she was fine. "Did you check his computer? If he's close to someone, he'd be emailing them."

"And you would know this how?" Regina asked, rudely.

Hermione straightened up and gave her the most vicious glare she could muster. "Because she has common sense."

Regina glared right back at her and Emma quickly intervened. "Finding people is what I do. Why don't I help you find him?"

While it was obvious that Regina loathed accepting help from Emma, her need to find Henry overcame her desire to reject Emma's offer as cruelly as possible.

"Fine. Let's go." Her obvious annoyance made Hermione feel a little better but she didn't really fancy the thought of spending any more time with the so-called 'Evil Queen'.

She eased away from Emma. "I think I'll just wander around town and see if Henry's hidden away somewhere; better to split up and cover more ground."

Emma smiled slightly, not buying her excuse for a minute. "Call if you need anything."

Hermione nodded and started for the exit. "Are you sure it's wise to allow her to go off on her own?" Regina sneered before Hermione was out the door, her hostility peeking through her mayoral demeanor.

Emma gave her a tight smile. "Hermione's tougher than she looks."

Graham, obviously uneasy with the tense atmosphere, moved to follow Hermione. "Shall we?"

 _I'm captured for a gift_

 _The thrill is how they live_

 _One way track too hurtin' to forgive_

 _So I lift my head, open my arms_

 _Give a sword to my heart_

A simple locator spell was all it took to lead her to Henry. She found him sitting on a large wooden playground made to look vaguely like a castle. "Fancy meeting you here," she called out.

Henry started and turned to look at who had spoken. A wide smile crossed his face when she saw Hermione. "You stayed!"

"Told you not to worry." Hermione climbed up next to him and she stared at the ocean in front of them, appreciating the peaceful view.

"Where's Emma?" he asked after a moment.

"With your mom and the Sheriff, looking for you." She glanced at him sideways and grinned.

Henry scowled. "She's not my mom."

Hermione sighed. "I know."

"How'd you find me?"

"It's a secret," Hermione told him with a small smile. Henry turned away from her to look back at the clock tower they had seen the night before. They sat in silence for a moment, just listening to the crashing waves, before Hermione spoke. "Why did you leave again without saying anything?"

Henry shrugged. "She wouldn't stop bugging me last night about how I found you guys and what I told you. I left before she could start questioning me again." He sighed and looked at the clock forlornly. "I was hoping when I brought Emma back, things would change- that the final battle would begin."

Hermione flinched. "That's not how things work. There has to be a bit more build-up before you reach the end. I would have thought your storybook would have taught you that."

"Were you able to read it yet?" Henry asked her eagerly.

"No. Emma and I were heading back to Boston to pack before coming back and on our way out of town we got into an accident." At Henry's panicked expression she hastened to add, "Neither of us were injured but I wasn't able to read your book yet."

"It's the curse," Henry informed her, a serious expression on his small face. "Nobody can leave Storybrooke."

"No one," Hermione automatically corrected. "And while I can't say for sure whether or not your curse played a role in our accident, I can say that we swerved off the road due to a large white wolf standing in the middle of the road."

Henry frowned, brows furrowed together. "A white wolf…" he repeated. Hermione knew he was trying to remember something; his expression was the same one Emma had when she was trying to work something out in her head. Her heart gave a pang of sadness, wondering what other things Henry shared with his birth mother, her sister.

Hermione jumped lightly off the side of the playground and held out her hand to Henry. "Where are we going?" he asked her, taking her hand with a trusting expression and allowing her to help him down.

"We are going to find somewhere to get breakfast. I haven't eaten since yesterday and I am guessing that you were unable to find the time this morning to eat before you made your escape."

Henry gave her a bright smile. "I know the best place!"

 _I said, Let me tell you_

 _I'm ready to fly_

 _I survived through rainstorms, sandstorms_

 _I fought the war_

 _Now it's time to go home_

They walked back into the main square of the town to a place called "Granny's Diner". "This place has the best hot cocoa!" Henry informed her as he pushed open the door.

"Henry?" A young woman came up to them wearing a short red skirt and a white button up tied to show off her stomach, a small apron tied around her waist. "Why aren't you in school?"

"Hey Ruby! I had the day off today so me and my Aunt Hermione decided to get breakfast." Hermione started at Henry calling her Aunt and felt her heart swell with happiness.

Ruby gave Hermione an appraising look. "Aunt?"

Henry led the way to a booth near the back of the diner. "Yeah, I found my birth mom. This is her sister so she's my aunt."

Ruby dropped the silverware she was holding onto the floor in shock. "Your birth mom?" she sputtered out.

"Yes," spoke Hermione, bending down to scoop up the bundles Ruby had dropped. "It was quite the surprise for us as well." She handed Ruby the bundle and then held out her hand. "I'm Hermione Granger."

"Nice to meet you," Ruby said, trying to bounce back from the shock but her eyes were still wide in surprise. "I'm Ruby."

"Sit down," Henry insisted, pulling Hermione down into the booth next to him. Hermione couldn't help the smile that appeared on her face; Henry already had her wrapped around his little finger and she could only hope that he hadn't noticed yet.

Ruby had left to put away the dirty silverware bundles but was back quickly with new ones and two menu's. She passed them to Hermione and Henry before asking, "Does the Mayor know you're not in school, Henry?"

Hermione answered for him. "Indeed she does. I believe she's actually out with my sister right now actually."

Ruby looked relieved and while Hermione felt bad for tricking her, she also wondered what kind of woman the Mayor was to inspire such fear. "Today's special is at the bottom of the menu. When you've decided what you want to order, just give me a shout." Ruby walked away and Hermione frowned. Ruby's entire attitude and overall character seemed so… mismatched. And the magic surrounding every person they had come across so far since being in Storybrooke was giving her a headache.

"She's Red Riding Hood," Henry stated while glancing over his menu.

Hermione looked at him with raised eyebrows. "Pardon?"

Henry grinned. "Your accent is the best. And I said that she's Red Riding Hood." Hermione's obvious confusion made Henry sigh in frustration. "I told you, everyone here is a character from the book. Archie is Jiminy Cricket, my mom is the Evil Queen, and Ruby is Red Riding Hood."

Hermione forced down the urge to instinctively dismiss Henry's claims. "I remember what you said, I was just surprised. I thought Red Riding Hood was a child?"

"That's one story. The one in my book is different; most of the stories in it are different from the original." Henry seemed to grow more confident the more he spoke about his knowledge from the book. It was just like how Harry would act when he taught the D.A. and a pang of sadness reminded her of just how long it had been since she and Harry had spoken. It was a necessary evil, their separation.

"What're you going to order?" asked Henry, pulling her from her thoughts.

She glanced down at her menu. "I think I will order the breakfast special and see what selection of teas they have. What are you going to get?"

"Chocolate chip pancakes!" Henry said enthusiastically. "I'm only allowed to get them on special occasions and getting to eat breakfast with you is definitely a special occasion."

Hermione couldn't resist hugging him. "I couldn't agree more."

Ruby came over a moment later and set two glasses of water on the table. She quickly took their orders and then made a beeline for a man who had just come in. Before Henry could bring up any more about the curse, Hermione started asking him questions about his life. What grade was he in? Did he enjoy school? What was his favorite subject? What did he like to do in his free time?

At first, Henry seemed almost reluctant to answer her questions, as if he didn't believe she could really be all that interested in his life. At seeing her open curiosity and honest joy at learning more about him, Henry slowly opened up more to her and became more willing to volunteer information.

After they finished eating, Henry almost licking his plate clean to Hermione's bemusement, they left the diner. The eyes and whispers that followed them out made Hermione tense and she had to swallow down the panic that was creeping its way up her throat, repeatedly reminding herself that this wasn't England; no one was coming after her here.

Hermione discreetly cast another locator spell to find Emma and discovered she was almost to Henry's castle. She gently tugged Henry to a stop and knelt down so that they were on eye level. "I believe Emma is heading towards your hiding place. Think you can manage to get there on your own from here?"

"It's a castle," Henry informed her. "And yeah. Do you not want to come?"

Hermione shook her head. "You should get a chance to talk to her, just the two of you. I'm going to go find some things Emma and I will need while we're here."

Henry's face lit up at the reminder that they were going to be staying and he threw his arms around her. "Thank you so much. I promise you won't regret staying!"

Hermione's heart broke at his words. She wrapped her arms tightly around him and dropped a kiss to his forehead. "Even if there is no curse," she whispered. "Being able to spend time with you would make coming here worth it."

Henry's arms tightened around her for a moment before he let go. Hermione also dropped her arms so Henry could step back. He looked up at her grinned. "Yeah, but there is a curse so being able to spend time with me is just a bonus."

"No," Hermione disagreed with a smile. "Getting to break a curse is the bonus to spending time with you."

Henry blushed before muttering a quick goodbye and racing off towards his castle to find Emma. Hermione watched him go with a smile.

 _Pick me up off of the desert_

 _Feed me water, walk me through the hills_

 _Wait until the sun shines upon us_

 _As we cross the_

 _Haunted hills_

After wandering around Storybrooke for a bit, Hermione found a deserted area that she could apparate back to Boston from. She moved quickly through Emma's apartment, collecting clothes and toiletries for both herself and her sister and shoving them into her small beaded bag. Realizing that it would look odd if people saw them with no luggage but clean clothes, Hermione grabbed a large bag from Emma's closet and shoved some random items into it. Once she was finished packing, she went back through the apartment to make sure that there was nothing she was forgetting before putting up extra wards to make sure no one was able to get in while they were gone and disapparating back to Storybrooke.

After making sure that no one had spotted her reappearance, Hermione set off to find her sister and Henry. She found Emma standing in front of the Mayor's house, glaring at the front door. "What's wrong?"

Emma jumped slightly and turned to look at her sister. "Good," she said, noticing the bag Hermione was holding. "You went back and packed. I wasn't sure I had enough in my car to last for the week."

Hermione grinned. "I see Henry convinced you to stay."

Emma's frown seemed to become even more severe. "No, but you said you wanted to stay and I want to get the car checked over before we go so I figured we'd just hang out here." Hermione smirked, seeing through Emma's lie. "Besides," muttered Emma. "There's something off about Regina; I don't trust her."

Hermione nodded, having gotten the same impression as Emma. "I believe there's an inn of some sort back in the town square. Hopefully, they'll have a room for us."

It was early evening by the time they reached the inn after having explored the town a bit more and gotten something to eat. They walked down a narrow path surrounded by trees up to a stone building with the sign "Granny's Bed and Breakfast" hanging near the front door. When they walked in, there was no one at the front desk but they could hear voices shouting from upstairs.

"You're out all night and now you're going out again," complained an elderly lady who Hermione assumed was the Granny of both the diner and the inn.

"I should have moved to Boston," spat the waitress from the diner, Ruby, as she stomped down the stairs. She passed by Hermione and Emma as if she didn't even see them.

"I'm sorry that my heart attack interfered with your plans to sleep your way down the eastern seaboard," snapped Granny.

"Excuse me," interrupted Emma before Ruby could respond. "We'd like a room."

Granny and Ruby stared at them in shock. "Really?" Granny asked, seemingly stunned. She quickly pulled herself together. "Would you like a forest view or a square view? Normally, there's an upgrade fee for the square but, as rent is due, I'll wave it." She grabbed a dusty book and dropped it onto a desk that looked as though it had never been used.

"Square is fine," Emma told her, after glancing at Hermione to make sure she didn't have an opinion.

Granny smiled. "Now, what's the name?"

"Swan," Emma told her. "Emma Swan. And this is my sister, Hermione."

"Emma," came a male voice from behind them. "What a lovely name."

Hermione and Emma turned, Hermione grabbing her sisters arm in order to disapparate immediately if necessary. A man with shaggy brown hair and a long dark coat was standing behind them, having silently entered the inn. Very impressive, considering his limp and cane.

"Thanks," said Emma, keeping her expression neutral. The man glanced at Hermione for a moment before returning his gaze to Emma.

"It's all here," interjected Granny, handing the man a roll of bills.

"Yes, yes, of course it is, dear. Thank you," he took the roll of bills and glanced back one last time at Emma. "You enjoy your stay… Emma."

He left the inn, Hermione's eyes trained on him the whole time. She didn't like the way he was staring at Emma.

"Who's that?" Emma asked, keeping her tone light despite the tension in the room.

"Mr. Gold," said Ruby, who was standing at the door and peeking through the curtains after the man. "He owns this place."

"The inn?" Hermione asked, feeling as if there was something not right about the man.

"No," said Granny, her tone low. "The town." Emma and Hermione stared at her in shock. "So," Granny said with a small shake of her head and then she smiled. "How long with you be with us?"

"A week," answered Emma, still surprised at the news of how powerful Mr. Gold seemed to be. "Just a week."

"Great," said Granny and handed her an old-fashioned key. "Welcome to Storybrooke."

 _It's time to go home_

 _It's time go home_

 _It's time to go home_

 **Please leave a review on your way out!**


	3. Chapter 3

**(A/N): And welcome back once again my lovely readers! I would like to once again give a shout-out to everyone who has read, favorited, and/or followed this fic! Special thanks to cheyeneb, SennaCousland, dixie326, and for reviewing- you're praise feeds my muse and helped get this out as fast I did.**

 **Just like last time, I have split up the next episode into two chapters because it was monstrously long otherwise. I don't plan on doing that for the other chapters unless they also end up being over 20 pages.**

 **Lyrics from this chapter are from "Dust Bowl Dance" by Mumford and Sons. I just thought it was really a good fit for post-war Hermione!**

 **Any familiar dialogue comes directly from OUAT Season 1 Episode 2 and belongs solely to its creators.**

 **Thanks so much to Hannbells for all your help!**

* * *

 _The young man stands on the edge of his porch_

 _The days were short_

 _And the father was gone_

Emma started awake and glanced blearily around the room. "What're you doing up?" she asked Hermione, who was already awake and reading Henry's book in a chair by the window.

"I woke up a while ago and couldn't get back to sleep," answered Hermione, her tone blank.

"What's wrong?" Emma asked, becoming more alert the longer she looked at her little sisters drawn face.

Hermione looked up at Emma, a million thoughts going through her head, before she managed to focus on her sister. "I'm not sure," she admitted before glaring back down at the book. "There's something wrong with this book though."

"What do you mean?" Emma climbed out of bed and walked over.

Hermione saw her shiver from the corner of her eye and silently cast a warming charm over her before handing her a cup of coffee. "This is book is filled with magic."

"Thanks," said Emma, taking a sip. "And so? It's a magical book, so what? You have tons of magical books and we already knew there was something stupid going on in this town."

Hermione shook her head. "It's not a magical book, Emma. There are no charms or hexes on the book; the book itself _is_ magic. This thing is saturated in untempered magic. Almost…" Hermione hesitated.

"Almost what?" Emma asked, beginning to worry.

"Almost like a horcrux," Hermione slowly answered.

Emma's eyes widened; she remembered when Hermione told her about horcrux's and about one in particular that had been placed inside a seemingly innocent journal. "Henry's had that book with him for who knows how long!"

"I said it's like a horcrux, not that it is," interjected Hermione. "This book isn't a vessel for someone's soul. I just meant that the magic surrounding it feels similar; it almost feels like it's alive."

Emma felt some of her panic subside. "You're sure it's not a horcrux?" she double-checked, a frown on her face.

Hermione nodded. "Positive. Though, I do plan on holding onto it until I can figure out what's going on."

"Be careful," Emma ordered. "I'm going to change and then we can go get breakfast."

"Alright," Hermione agreed, turning back to her book. "Oh," she called out, as Emma was walking away. "You should probably know that the clock started working again."

Emma turned to face her. "What?" she asked, walking back towards her and moving around her to look out the window. "I thought Henry said the clock didn't work."

"Henry said that time is frozen here," Hermione corrected, also glancing out the window. "Looks as though our presence here has set things in motion."

Her sister scowled at her. "The curse isn't real."

"Reserving judgment," she reminded Emma. "We don't know what's going on and until we do, we can't say with certainty whether or not there is a curse."

Emma didn't say anything, just waved her hand at Hermione as she went back into the bathroom. Hermione smiled slightly at the closed door before turning back to the book. She frowned, staring at the picture of a sword sailing through the air towards the Evil Queen, who really did look like Regina. She wished she could just believe it to be a coincidence but the last few years had taught her the importance of paying attention to and investigating everything, no matter how seemingly impossible it was. She just hoped that this time around she wouldn't have to rely so heavily on a book of fairytales as a guide.

 _There was no one in the town and no one in the field_

 _This dusty barren land_

 _Had given all it could yield_

Emma came back out of the bathroom, muttering about forgetting to bring a change of clothes with her when they heard a knock at the door. They glanced at each other and Emma went over, glancing through the peephole to see who was visiting so early in the morning. She turned back to Hermione and mouthed, _Mayor_.

Hermione nodded, climbing off the chair and moving off to the side of room so that she couldn't be seen from the doorway. She set the book down on the small table near the bathroom and covered it with Emma's jacket just to be safe.

Emma opened the door, wearing only her white tank top and red panties. "Did you know the Honeycrisp tree is the most vigorous and hearty of all apple trees?" Regina asked before Emma could say anything. Emma tilted her head slightly in confusion. "It can survive temperatures as low as forty below and keep growing. It can weather any storm. I have one that I've tended to since I was a little girl and to this day, I have yet to taste anything more delicious than the fruit it offers." Hermione saw the Mayor hand her sister a dark red apple.

"Thanks," said Emma, a confused look on her face.

"I'm sure you and your sister will enjoy them on your drive home. Where is she, if you don't mind my asking? Considering that you just got out of bed, I wouldn't think that she would be out and about yet." Emma stiffened and the hand on the door clenched into a fist.

Hermione stepped over to sister and looked out at Regina, giving her an insincere smile. "Good morning," she greeted her. "And we'll actually be staying for a while but thank you for the apples."

Regina's gaze instantly lost its fake friendliness. "I'm not sure that's such a good idea. Henry has enough issues; he doesn't need you confusing him."

Emma straightened. "All due respect, Madam Mayor, the fact that you have now threatened us twice in the last twelve hours makes me want to stay more."

"Since when were apples a threat?" Regina asked with an air of innocence.

"I can read between the lines." Emma's face turned serious. "Sorry, I just want to make sure Henry's okay."

"He's fine, dear," her entire demeanor condescending. "Any problems he has are being taken care of."

"What does that mean?" asked Hermione.

"It means I have him in therapy," Regina told them with a condescending smile. "It's all under control. Take my advice; only one of us knows what's best for Henry."

"Yeah," Emma told her with a severe look in her eye. "I'm starting to think you're right about that."

"It's time for you to go."

"Or what?" challenged Emma.

"Don't underestimate me, Miss Swan," Regina warned her, her eyes cold and dark. "You have no idea what I'm capable of." She shoved the basket of apples into Emma's hands before turning back down the hallway. Emma and Hermione watched her go before Emma swung the door shut.

"How did someone like her become mayor?" Emma wondered aloud as she walked over to the window and looked down into the square, watching as the Mayor left the inn and walked down the sidewalk.

"She's baiting you," Hermione informed her sister as she retrieved the storybook from the table.

"What?" Emma asked, turning away from the window.

"Regina is baiting you," Hermione repeated, setting the book on the bed as she dug around in her beaded bag for a change of clothes. "She told you about Henry being in therapy for a reason; most likely so that you would go speak to his therapist about Henry."

"So? What's the big deal if I do?" Emma challenged, annoyed that Hermione had immediately figured out her plans.

"If you go down to the office and he tells you anything," Hermione informed her as she traded her pajama shirt for a plain v-neck and jacket. "That would be a breach in patient confidentiality."

"That would get him in trouble, not me."

"Unless he says that you forced him to tell you or made him give you Henry's file," Hermione said as she sat down on the bed so that she could tie the laces on her boots.

"Don't you think you're being a little paranoid?" Emma asked as she drained the last of her coffee and grabbed a change of clothes for after her shower. "I highly doubt Regina has that much power, even if she is the mayor."

Hermione frowned at her sister. "Not only has she tried to threaten us into leaving town twice so far since we got here, she may also be responsible for the magic that is surrounding and imbedded in this town. You know better than to underestimate an opponent when you have no idea what they're capable of doing."

"She's not an opponent," Emma said with a frown as she headed to the bathroom. "I'm not here to fight her, I just want to make sure Henry is being taken care of." She closed the bathroom door and Hermione heard the shower turn on.

Hermione sighed and left the room, shutting the door gently behind her. She made her way down the stairs and into the entryway of the inn. There was no one at the main desk and she guessed that Ruby and Granny were at the diner, though she was surprised that they didn't hire someone to work the desk at the inn while they were out. She remembered what Henry said about no one ever visiting the town and then the surprise on Granny's and Ruby's faces when they asked to rent a room and decided that there was probably never a need for someone to watch the inn before since there were never any guests.

 _I've been kicked off my land at the age of sixteen_

 _And I have no idea_

 _Where else my heart could have been_

She headed out the front door and down the walkway to the main road, glancing both ways before crossing the street. Hermione pushed the door open into Granny's Diner, nodding at Ruby as she took a seat in the booth closest to the door. "Good morning," she greeted Henry, who hadn't noticed her come in and sit down because he had been focused on the paper in front of him. Hermione saw that the headline read _Strangers Destroys Historic Sign: Alcohol Involved_ with a picture of their car crashed against the welcome sign and couldn't help but give a snort of derision. Seems Storybrooke had its own Rita Skeeter running around. Lovely.

Henry jumped slightly and looked up with wide eyes, which lit up once he saw her and a large grin spread across his face. He scrambled off his seat and slid in next to her so that he could give her a hug. Hermione's heart clenched; again, he reminded her so much of Harry in that both seemed starved for affection. She hugged Henry back. "How are you this morning?" she asked.

"Good," he told her. He let his arms drop but still leaned against Hermione, his head resting on her shoulder. "The Queen left early this morning so I was able to escape. Is Emma coming?"

"She should be over after her shower," Hermione told him as she ran her fingers idly through his hair. "We were going to come here together but I decided to leave before she was done so that her breakfast would be here when she arrived."

"That's nice," Henry commented, and Hermione could tell from the excitement in his voice that he was looking forward to seeing Emma again.

"You should probably know that your mother paid us a visit this morning." Hermione knew that Emma would probably prefer that she didn't say anything to him about it but she felt that it would be better if Henry found out what was going on from her rather than whatever twisted version Regina gave him later on.

Henry pulled back at that. "What did she want?" he asked, seemingly alarmed at the news.

Hermione pulled him back to her. "It's alright," she told him softly. "She didn't do or say anything new; she just wanted to try and get us to leave town. Her plan backfired though," Hermione said with a small laugh. "Emma is more sure now than ever that she needs to be here for you."

Henry relaxed against her. "Good," he sighed. "You can't leave until the curse is broken." Ruby came over at that moment and set a plate of eggs and bacon in front of Henry.

"Can I get you anything?" Ruby asked as Henry pulled away from Hermione and began eating.

Hermione glanced at the menu options by the counter and said, "I'll have the French toast and could I get a breakfast sandwich to go?" At Ruby's surprised look she added, "The sandwich is for Emma when she gets here." Ruby nodded with a smile and then walked off.

"That's weird," said Henry, his mouth full of food. "Ruby usually talks a lot more."

"Don't speak with your mouth full," Hermione gently chided him. "And she's probably not as open since she doesn't know me."

Henry made sure to swallow his mouthful of food. "No, I don't think that's it." He thought for a moment before an excited look crossed his face. "Maybe she's starting to get her memories back! Red Riding Hood is really different from Ruby so maybe she's starting to go back."

"Well, the Red Riding Hood in the book is very different from Ruby. They do look very similar though," Hermione agreed, glancing over at Ruby as she bent over rather provocatively and flirted with a customer at another booth.

"You read the book?" asked Henry, almost bouncing in his seat with excitement.

"I did."

"And?!" demanded Henry.

Hermione sighed. "I want to examine things for myself before I make any decisions."

Henry seemed to grow even more excited, if that was possible. "You believe me!"

"I didn't say that," Hermione disagreed.

"You didn't say you didn't either!"

Hermione had to laugh at his logic.

The bell over the diner's door dinged as another Graham walked in. "Good morning, Sheriff," called Hermione, eager to change topics.

Graham walked over to them with a smile. "Morning. I see you decided to stay. Is Emma with you?" He glanced around as if hoping that Emma would appear.

"Yes, we have and not at the moment, though she should be here soon." Hermione smiled at the small spark that had appeared in the Sheriff's eyes when he had mentioned Emma.

Graham just nodded, seemingly trying to act casual. He then glanced at Henry. "The Mayor know you're here?"

Henry shrugged. "Probably."

Graham sighed, but the small grin he had gave away his amusement. "When did you get to be such a troublesome lad?"

Henry just grinned. "I'm 10, it's my job to be troublesome."

Both Hermione and Graham laughed. Emma walked into the diner then and paused at the sight of the three of them. An odd, warm feeling started bubbling in her chest but she automatically pushed it down. She made her way over to them and sat down across from Henry and her sister. "You could have told me you were leaving," she told Hermione in lieu of greeting.

Her little sister just grinned at her. "I figured you'd be intelligent enough to figure out where I went."

Emma failed to smother her grin. "Brat."

Hermione laughed. "I'm your little sister."

"Are you trying to imply that your brattiness is somehow my doing?"

"Of course," Hermione said primly. "I absorbed all my brattiness from you."

 _I placed all my trust at the foot of this hill_

 _And now I am sure_

 _My heart can never be still_

Emma just rolled her eyes while Henry giggled. Graham continued to stand by the edge of the booth, seemingly hesitant to continue speaking with them now that Emma was there but still not wanting to leave.

"So," Graham finally started, giving Emma a hesitant grin. "Your sister tells me you're going to stay. That's good news for our tourist business though it's bad for our local signage," he finished with a sad shake of his head. Emma just frowned at him. "It's- it's a joke. Because you ran over our sign."

Hermione was almost shaking at this point with suppressed laughter and leaned over to bury her face in Henry's hair. He leaned into her and she could feel him smiling as well against her shoulder.

Ruby came over then with their food and set the plates down in front of Emma and Hermione. "I forgot to ask if you guys wanted anything other than water to drink."

"I'll just have a coffee," Emma told her.

"Make it to go," Henry interrupted, shoving the last of his eggs into his mouth. Ruby grinned and walked back to the counter.

"Why?" asked Emma. "And why are you even here? Don't you have school?"

"Duh." scoffed Henry. "I'm ten. Walk me." He handed her a few napkins before getting up. "Could you pass me my backpack? I left it on the bench next to you."

Emma studied him for a moment before sighing, taking the napkins from him to wrap her sandwich in and grabbing his bag. "You coming?" she asked her sister.

"No," Hermione told her. "My breakfast isn't as mobile as yours." At her sisters look of hesitation, Hermione gave a soft smile and waved her hand. "Off you go. Make sure Henry actually arrives at school today. I'm sure the Sheriff would be more than willing to keep me company."

Graham gave the sisters a grin brimming with boyish charm and slid into Emma's recently vacated seat across from Hermione. "Of course, I'm more than willing to keep a lovely lass like yourself entertained."

Hermione laughed. "While I'm sure your accent is more than capable of drawing in many a woman in the past, it unfortunately is all too common for me." Ruby came over then and handed Emma her to-go cup while placing a mug in front of Graham.

Emma hesitated for a moment before turning to Henry. "C'mon kid, let's go."

Henry gave a grin and a wave before pulling Emma out of the diner with him.

 _So collect your courage and collect your horse_

 _And pray you never feel_

 _This same kind of remorse_

Hermione returned her attention to Graham. "So," she asked as she began to eat. "Locked away anymore accident victims since we last spoke?"

Graham blushed and gave a weak chuckle. "No, can't say that I have. I do apologize for the mix-up yesterday."

"Why did you just lock Emma up?" Hermione asked, having wondered about his actions. "Isn't it procedure to take anyone found at the scene of the accident unconscious straight to the hospital, as you did for me? Even if they were the one driving?"

He frowned in thought before slowly replying, "I don't know; this has never happened before."

Hermione blinked at him. "Never happened before?" she echoed. "How is that possible?"

"I guess Storybrooke is just filled with safe drivers," he replied with a chuckle, but she could see the hint of unease in his eyes.

She nodded in agreement with a smile, while hiding the stab of worry she had felt. It was impossible that no one in the history of the town had ever been in an accident, not in a normal town at least.

But an entire town, cursed? The level of power needed to evoke such a spell would have to be astronomical. Hermione remembered the part of the book where the Evil Queen had enacted the spell by crushing the heart of the thing she loved most. Dumbledore had always said that love was the most powerful of magics so in theory, taking that love and channeling it into a dark spell could do quite a lot of damage.

Why did no one stop Regina though, if she had created a curse? The Snow White in the book had seemed almost obsessive about the Evil Queen having the capacity for good if just given the chance. That belief was seen in the times she refused to have the Queen executed. Hermione couldn't help but believe that Snow's conviction wasn't rooted in the idea of the Queen's goodness, but rather in the naïve ideology that killing should never be done. Snow couldn't bear the idea of a death weighing on her conscious so instead allowed, not only her kingdom, but all the kingdoms of the Enchanted Forest to suffer so that she wouldn't be burdened. It was very selfish, in Hermione's opinion.

"Everything all right?" Graham's voice pulled her from her thoughts. She flushed at the concerned look he was giving her and silently scolded herself for starting to take Henry's theory as fact without the further evidence she'd told him she needed.

"Yes, sorry. Just lost in my own thoughts. You're not going to get something to eat?"

He allowed the unsubtle change of subject with nothing more than a good-natured grin. "No, I was just stopping in for a cup of coffee before I headed down to the station."

"Ah, wouldn't want to be late then. After all, who else but you can save the citizens of Storybrooke from the crime-riddled streets."

"Yes, well, things have gotten significantly busier after you and your sister arrived. How long are you staying for?"

Hermione wondered if he was asking for just himself or if the Mayor was pushing him to find out. Most likely both, she decided. "We're not sure yet. For as long as we feel it's necessary, I suppose."

Graham nodded before draining the last of his drink and standing. "I had best be off. Hopefully I won't be seeing you later in an official capacity." He raised his eyebrows at her and failed at giving a stern look.

She smiled serenely up at him. "I make no promises I cannot keep."

He laughed and then turned to go. "Wait," she called out, remember something she'd been wanting to ask. Graham turned back towards her. "Could you tell me where the library is? There's something I was hoping to look up."

"It's supposed to be under the clock tower," he told her, nodding his head towards the building. "However, it's been closed for as long as I can remember."

"Of course it has," Hermione muttered, as Graham finally made his way out to his car. "Couldn't have this done the easy way. Fine then."

Dropping enough money on the table to cover their food and a tip, Hermione made her way outside and stopped a young woman walking by. "Excuse me, could you tell me where I can find the office of Storybrooke's Daily Mirror?"

 _Seal my heart and break my pride_

 _I've nowhere to stand and now_

 _Nowhere to hide_

 _Align my heart, my body, my mind_

 _To face what I've done and do my time_

 **Please leave a review on your way out!**


	4. Chapter 4

**(A/N): Hello! Sorry it's been so long since I last updated! I've recently moved abroad and things got busy/messy real fast. Hopefully things will be going more smoothly from here on out and updates will be more regular but no guarantees! Shout outs to everyone who read, favorited, and/or followed this fic. Shout outs to cheyneb, dixie326, The Dark One Rising, JanusGodOfPossibilities, RoseAmeliaSarahNoblePond, ReadLikeHermione, and Guests for reviewing! You have my eternal adoration!**

 **This chapter covers the last half of episode 2. From here on out, I plan on doing one chapter per episode! This may cause there to be more of a wait between chapters but that just means that most chapters will be longer!**

 **Lyrics from this chapter are also from "Dust Bowl Dance" by Mumford and Sons.**

 **Any familiar dialogue comes directly from OUAT Season 1 Episode 2 and belongs solely to its creators.**

 **Thanks to Hannbells for beta-reading this chapter! Love you!**

* * *

 _Well you are my accuser_

 _Now look in my face_

 _Your oppression reeks of_

 _Your greed and disgrace_

Emma was lounging on the bed reading what Hermione guessed was Henry's file from his therapist when she entered their room with an armful of boxes. "I see you didn't listen to me," she remarked flatly, annoyed at Emma's recklessness.

Her sister couldn't even bother to feign guilt. "Nope. And not only was I able to speak to him about Henry but he even gave me his file." Emma glanced up and raised an eyebrow in surprise. "What's with the boxes?"

Hermione set the boxes down on a small table. "Past issues of the Mirror," she muttered, already opening the top box and pulling out a stack of newspapers. "This town doesn't have a library and I wanted to look into the towns history." She paused, finally registering what her sister had said. "He gave you Henry's file?"

"Yeah, he said that I should read it because they talk about me a lot and he wanted me to realize how important I am to Henry." Emma looked up in time to see her sister's expression turn into one of anger and horror.

"Emma!" she snapped, forcing herself to keep her voice low. "How could you be so stupid?!"

"What? He gave it to me!"

"And you were brainless enough to take it? You have no right to those files and he knows that! You're being set up for a felony! Again!" Hermione raced over to the bed and started collecting the papers strewn across the covers.

"You're being paranoid," Emma snapped back, reaching over to stop her. "Not everyone is out to get us."

"Not us," Hermione couldn't resist correcting. "Just you. You know the Mayor wants you gone and I'm rather certain she doesn't care in what manner you leave. Actually, this might be preferable since she can explain to Henry that his birth mother is a horrible human being who breaks into doctor's offices and reads confidential files."

A knock at the door made both of them pause. "Who is it?" called Hermione.

"It's Sheriff Humbert."

"Shit," Emma swore.

"I warned you," Hermione muttered, snatching the papers back from Emma's slacken fingers.

"Now is not the time! Can you hide the file or something?" Hermione set the file on the bed and cast a wandless and wordless vanishing spell over it. "Wow, you're getting better at that," Emma told her, impressed, as she went over to the door and pulled it open.

"Hey there. If you're concerned about the 'Do Not Disturb' signs, don't worry- I've left them alone." Hermione sat back onto the window seat, watching the battle of wills between her annoyed sister and the Sheriff.

"Actually, I'm here about Doctor Archibald Hopper. He mentioned you got into a bit of a row with him earlier?" He was frowning at Emma, but Hermione got the feeling that Graham was aware that something was off.

"No," Emma responded flatly, rocking back on her heels and sliding her hands into her front pockets.

"I was shocked too," Graham told her. "Given your shy, delicate sensibilities." Hermione snorted at that, reluctantly amused, despite being able to sense Emma's anger growing. "He says you demanded to see Henry's files," he continued. "And when he refused, you came back and stole them."

"Well, he must be mistaken," Hermione spoke up then. "There's nothing in here but some older issues of the _Storybrooke Daily Mirror_."

Graham's eyebrows rose as he glanced between the siblings. "So you say. May I check your room? Or must I get a search warrant?"

Emma sighed but stepped back and swung the door open. "Knock yourself out." She walked over and sat next to Hermione, leaning back against the window and glaring at Graham as he started searching the room.

Hermione studied Graham closely as he began a methodical search through their drawers and bags. There was nothing noticeably wrong about the Sheriff, yet she still couldn't get help feeling as though there was something strange about him. It wasn't until he glanced over at Emma that it came to her: hollow. She could feel a muted pulse of what felt somewhat like magic yet not but that was overpowered by a wave of emptiness radiating out of him that was so deep it made Hermione cringe.

Her sister's arm gently bumping against her own pulled her back and she shelved her thoughts on the Sheriff for the time being.

A few minutes later and the Sheriff was done searching their room. "Happy now?" Emma asked, the venom in her tone making Graham shift uncomfortably.

"Actually, I will need to search your car as well."

"The car is parked on the main street," Hermione commented quietly, before Emma's temper could snap. "If you search it now, everyone out and about will see and think that something is going on."

"Be that as it may, I will need to search it as well." His gaze drifted over to Emma. "I'm just doing my job," he told her beseechingly.

Emma studied him for a moment before giving a sigh of frustration. "Whatever. Is there any way we can do this that won't involve us putting on a show for everyone in town and another article in the paper?"

Graham seemed to relax slightly. "Why don't we drive over to the station and I'll search it there? I'll follow you to make sure you don't try and toss out any evidence," he added with a small smirk.

"Yes, because the drive down Main Street is the perfect place to throw something out the window and have it never be found again," Emma retorted with a glare as she went to grab a shirt from the drawer.

"Well, you two have fun. Try to avoid finding yourself back in your cell." Hermione grabbed one of the papers Graham had left on a chair and moved to sit down.

"Oh no," Emma said, walking over and grabbing her arm. "You're coming too."

"No, I'm not," Hermione told her, trying to pull away. "You're the one being accused, not me." _You're the one who decided to ignore common sense and fall into Regina's trap_.

"Actually," Graham cut in. "It'd probably be best if you both came. Wouldn't want anyone to believe that Hermione was trying to cover for you."

Hermione wondered if Graham was aware that Regina was out to get them and was trying his best to make sure she had the least amount of ammunition.

She sincerely hoped that was the case, so that they could count on at least one person in this town being on their side should they ever have to go up against the Mayor.

 _So one man has and another has not_

 _How can you love what it is you have got_

 _When you took it all from the weak hands of the poor?_

 _Liars and thieves you know not what is in store_

Graham was just finishing taking Emma's statement when Henry rushed into the room. "Hey!" he greeted, racing over to Hermione and throwing his arms around him.

"Henry!" Graham stared at him in shock. "Henry, what are you doing here?"

"His mother told him what happened," came voice from the entryway and Hermione looked up to see a young woman with short black hair following Henry into the office.

Hermione looked down at Henry with raised eyebrows. "This is my teacher, Miss Blanchard," he introduced. "Miss Blanchard, this is my Aunt Hermione."

She could help beaming at his introduction as she moved to offer his teacher her hand. "Hello."

"Hi," Miss Blanchard responded, obviously a little nervous as they shook hands. "Please, call me Mary Margaret."

Hermione nodded and then Emma broke in. "What exactly did your mother tell you?" she asked Henry.

"It's cool, I know what you were doing." He moved closer to Emma and lowered his voice. "You were just gathering intel for Operation Cobra."

Emma scowled. "I don't know what your mom told you, but nothing happened; Archie thought I had a file of his but I don't. Just ask the Sheriff over here if you want proof."

Graham sighed. "I was just doing my job."

"So, you're not under arrest?" Henry looked to Hermione, as if he didn't trust Emma to give him an honest answer.

"Of course not," she told him before catching Graham's eye. "And we would greatly appreciate it if you could let both Dr. Hopper and the Mayor know that the good doctor was mistaken."

He nodded, lips turned down and brow crinkled in thought. "Well then," Mary Margaret broke in, shifting back and forth as she played with the strap of her black purse. "If I'm not needed, then I better get going."

"Thanks," Emma told her, and Hermione frowned at the slight discomfort in her sisters' tone. "For bringing him here, I mean."

"Actually," Henry corrected. "She was here to bail you out."

"What?" Emma stared at the teacher in shock. "Why?"

"I, uh, trust you," Mary Margaret told her hesitantly.

Emma seemed briefly thrown before she collected herself and turned to the Sheriff. "Well, if we're all finished here, I have something to do."

Graham quickly nodded. "Yes, I'll find you if I need anything else."

The group made its way out of the station and Emma tossed Hermione the keys to the bug before leaving without another word.

"Where's she going?" Henry asked as they watched Emma march off in the general direction of the Mayor's house.

Hermione bit her lip to hide her grin. "I couldn't say."

"I hope she's alright," Mary Margaret fretted.

"I'm sure she'll be fine," Henry told her, giving his teacher a strange little grin. "But it makes sense that you'd worry about her."

"Oh, really? Why's that?" She smiled down at Henry and Hermione studied her, trying to figure out who she was supposed to be. If Henry had some idea of what character she is, then that implied that Mary Margaret was not some random denizen of the Enchanted Forest but someone significant enough to have a story in the book.

Henry just shrugged and smiled. "No reason."

On the one hand, Hermione found his attempts to be subtle adorable but on the other, he would have to get better at controlling his expressions if he wanted to be of any real assistance to her. And Hermione got the sense that Henry needed to be involved, if only so that he could be reassured of his own sanity. It couldn't be easy, after all, having the woman who raised you since birth try to convince you that you're mentally unbalanced.

Hermione deliberated for a moment before asking Mary Margaret, "Would you like to join us at Granny's? I missed lunch and find myself famished."

She seemed surprised by the invite before nodding her head and beaming. "I would love to! But," Mary Margaret glanced down at Henry. "Isn't your mother expecting you?"

Henry shrugged. "I have some time before I have to meet her at her office for dinner."

"We'll just get something to snack on before dinner, then, so that you don't ruin your appetite." Hermione moved over to the Bug, pulling the seat forward so that Henry could climb in the back while motioning for Mary Margaret to sit in the passenger seat. She had been hesitating outside the car door, almost as if she thought she would be spontaneously uninvited.

It only took a minute to reach the diner and Hermione parked across the street, thankful that her sister had taken the time to help Hermione acclimatize to driving on the other side of the road. Her parents had paid for her to take driving lessons the summer before her sixth year and Emma had helped her get an International Driving Permit once she'd arrived in the states. Once they were seated, Hermione started casually inquiring about the young teacher's life. It didn't take long for her to realize that, for all her shyness, Mary Margaret had a natural confidence that couldn't be subverted. After she had left, claiming that she had a stack of tests that needed to be graded, Henry turned to Hermione with an excited grin. "So, do you know who she is?"

"No," Hermione said, finishing off the last of her chips. "Who is she?"

"She's Snow White!"

Hermione's stomach dropped. Mary Margaret was supposedly Snow White. The storybook character that had consistently failed to protect those she was charged with watching over. Who'd allowed a villain to terrorize an entire land due to her own patheticness. A woman who shoved a newborn into a magical tree so that said infant would heroically return to save them all one day. A baby who grew up feeling abandoned and being abused at every turn until she finally found a family to give her the love and care she deserved.

"What's wrong?" Henry asked, curious at the Hermione's lack of reaction.

She could tell by the look in his eyes that Henry thought of Snow White as a hero that would help Emma save the day. Hermione hesitated for a moment, almost deciding that it would be better to allow Henry to go on believing in the goodness of all the heroes in his storybook. If the curse wasn't real, then there wouldn't be any real harm in it. Then she remembered Harry, remembered his blind faith in the goodness of those he'd been told to trust and how it had shattered him a little bit more every time that faith was broken. She couldn't do that to Henry; it would hurt more to have his faith built up and then cruelly knocked down in the blink of an eye. If the curse was real, something her mind was having trouble fully believing yet her magic was keeping her from being able to dismiss, then it was important that Henry have the ability to judge everyone for their actions and not for how society has cast them.

"After reading your book," she started, choosing her words carefully. "I've found that I don't like Snow White all that much."

Henry stared at her as though she'd told him that sunshine was stupid. "But she's a hero!"

"Is she? A hero stops the villain in a story, but Snow White never stopped the Evil Queen in the Enchanted Forest, did she? Instead, she protected herself and Prince Charming but allowed Regina to walk free."

"That's because killing is wrong!" He stared at her with a stubbornness she had seen in Emma a thousand times.

He was far too young to be taught about the necessity of killing during war. "But she also refused to imprison her, right? She could have kept the Evil Queen locked away as punishment for hurting so many people but instead she allowed her to walk free."

Henry faltered. "Well, they couldn't lock her away because she'd just escape using her magic."

"They managed to lock Rumpelstiltskin away," Hermione gently pointed out.

The crushed expression on his face caused her heart to clench. "So, you think Snow White isn't a hero?"

 _Hermione Granger, 1/3_ _rd_ _of the Golden Trio, the Golden Girl, War Heroine._ "I think that there's no such thing as a true hero, only people trying to do what they think is right in the best way they can. Because the Evil Queen is a villain and Snow White is supposedly her arch nemesis, Snow White is cast into the role of hero, but I can't see her that way because I don't agree with her actions."

Henry's brows furrowed, considering her answer. "So, you don't think Snow White is a hero but that doesn't mean that she's not good?"

"I think," Hermione evaded. "That it all depends on how you view her actions."

"But if Snow White isn't a hero, then who is?"

She thought back over all the stories she'd read, trying to find one with a character she would view as a hero. "The Huntsman," she finally answered. "I found the Huntsman to be true hero. He was willing to give up his life to save someone he didn't know but that didn't deserve to die. Even though the Evil Queen took his heart in the end, he still didn't regret saving Snow White."

That seemed to lift Henry's spirits. "You're right! The Huntsman was really heroic! I haven't been able to figure out who he is yet but maybe we could figure it out together?" His tone was so hesitant, as if he figured she would dismiss him.

"Of course. We'll just have to try and search for clues as to what role Regina is having him play." She stood up, tugging Henry out of the booth as she dropped enough money to cover their bill.

Henry beamed at her and his happiness continued all the way till they reached Emma's car. "What's that?" Henry asked, pointing at the red boot on the front tire.

Hermione sighed. "That would be the Mayor trying to prove her superiority. I was going to drive you home, but it seems that I'll need to take care of this. Are you alright to find your own way back?"

"Yep! I'll just go to the arcade for awhile before I meet the Evil Queen; we always get dinner tonight before she drops me off at Archie's." He said it like it was nothing, but Hermione could still see that it hurt him every time he was reminded that no one believed him.

"Well, make sure to keep a low profile." She pulled him into a hug. "It's better if they don't see us coming until it's too late."

He hugged her back tightly before running off with a smile and a wave.

Hermione turned and headed back towards the inn, running into Granny right when she walked through the door. "Oh!" Granny exclaimed. "I was just about to head up to your room." Hermione took in the older woman's tense and shifting stance. "This is terribly awkward but I'm afraid I'm going to need to ask you to leave. It seems we have a 'no felons' rule. It… it turns out it's a city ordinance."

"I see. I'm assuming the Mayor's office called to remind you?" At her nod, Hermione smiled and continued. "Well, then, it's a good thing then that neither my sister nor myself are felons. Seems there was a mix-up at the Sheriff's station. I will give the Mayor a call right now and let her know if you would like to double-check with the Sheriff?"

Granny hesitantly nodded and gave Hermione the Mayor's number. Regina answered after three rings. "What?"

"Hello, Regina, this is Hermione Granger."

 _There will come a time I will look in your eye_

 _You will pray to the God that you always denied_

 _Then I'll go out back and I'll get my gun_

 _I'll say, "You haven't met me, I am the only son"_

"How the hell did you get this number?"

"That's not important. I'm calling because it seems there's been some false information going around about my sister being some sort of felon. I'm sure Sheriff Humbert has called to correct you on that, has he not?"

Hermione could almost hear the other woman's teeth clenching. "He did. Though, I find it very hard to believe that Dr. Hopper would lie about something like this."

"You'd be surprised what people are willing to do with the right persuasion," she responded, keeping her tone light. "It seems the inn got a call about what happened and were rightfully concerned about keeping to city code, as they should be. I do hope your office isn't responsible for the spreading of such slanderous lies."

"Now, why on earth would I do that?" The false innocence grated on Hermione's nerves and her patience finally snapped.

"It seems to me that you are under the impression that you are somehow the most powerful individual here and it's time I correct that. You may be mayor of this small, inconsequential little town but I am a well-known war hero, revered for my intellect in addition to bringing down a powerful terrorist group. In other words, I matter on an international scale while a pathetic, small-time official such as yourself is truly insignificant in the grand scheme of things. It is abundantly clear to me that you are hiding something and that being noticed is the last thing you want. One word from me and this town will be under the scrutiny of more governmental officials than you could even imagine. If you challenge either my sister or myself, I will have everything you hold dear ripped away from you with no hope of getting it back. Have I made myself clear?"

There was a long pause. "Perfectly," Regina finally spat out.

"Lovely. Have a wonderful day." Hermione hung up the phone and turned to walk back to Granny. "I've just spoken to the Mayor and everything is fine."

Granny nodded, still looking uneasy. "The Sheriff has assured me that it's fine for you two to keep staying here."

Hermione sought to reassure the older woman. "Everything is sorted out now and I guarantee that they Mayor won't bother you about us again. Should she do so, please let me know."

She gave a short, tense nod before stating that she needed to get back to the diner and left. Hermione sighed, unhappy that they were causing problems for other people but unwilling to allow Regina to have her way.

Heading up the stairs, Hermione bumped into her sister as she was preparing to leave again, pulling on a gray overshirt as she went. "Someone put a boot on the car," she greeted.

Emma groaned. "Of course," she grumbled.

"I hope whatever you did at Regina's house was worth it; the woman is now out for blood." Emma raised a brow in question. "She tried to have us evicted from the inn. I managed to stop her and have hopefully made her hesitant to try anything outright against us for the moment but I'm sure it won't last long."

"It was worth it and we just have to last long enough to be sure that Henry is alright and for you to take down whatever spell is around this town."

"I'm powerful but even I have my limits," Hermione warned her. "Whoever cast the ward around the town had to have used Dark Magic to do so and I imagine it would have taken nothing less than a blood sacrifice to erect it and keep it strong for this long. It will take either something just as powerful to bring it down or I'll need to find some sort of loophole."

"If anyone can do it, it's you." Emma's faith in her sister was absolute. "And if you can't safely bring it down, then we'll just have to grab Henry and make a run for it," she joked, but there was a thread of truth in her words that assured Hermione that Emma would do whatever it took to keep Henry safe.

The phone rang and Emma answered without looking at it. "Yeah?" The glower that appeared on her face made Hermione aware as to who the caller was. "You have no idea." There was another long pause. "What time do you want to meet?" She held up a finger towards Hermione. "I'll be there."

"What was that?" Hermione immediately asked after Emma had hung up.

"Regina wants to make peace, apparently." Hermione's nose wrinkled. "Yeah, my thoughts exactly."

"It seems she's still feeling somewhat bold," Hermione scowled.

"Well, hopefully after this talk she won't keep trying to butt heads."

"I'm guessing you already realize that I think this is a terrible idea."

"It has been noted."

Hermione shook her head and stared at her sister with hard eyes. "How many times today must I be right before you accept that I know best in this particular situation?"

"The same number of times I will need to remind you that I've survived on my own for several years and that I am the big sister, not you," Emma returned.

Grabbing her room key, she made her way out the door and out of the Inn. Hermione took a seat on the bed and rummaged around in her bag for a small hand mirror. "Kingsley Shacklebolt."

Moments later, she was looking into the smiling face of Britain's newest Minister of Magic. "Hermione! How are you? Playing nice with the Americans?"

Hermione couldn't help beaming back at him. "I'm well. I was hoping you could help put me in contact with someone in the MACUSA. I'm looking for information on a town called Storybrooke…"

 _Seal my heart and break my pride_

 _I've nowhere to stand and now nowhere to hide_

 _Align my heart, my body, my mind_

 _To face what I've done and do my time_

The door slammed open and Emma stormed in. "We're leaving."

Hermione stared at her in shock. "What?"

Emma moved to the closet and pulled out her bag. "I said we're leaving."

"I heard you the first time," Hermione snapped back as she got off the bed and moved to halt her sister. "What happened with Regina?"

She paused in her jerky movements and Hermione was alarmed to see Emma's hands shaking. "That psychotic bitch set me up to basically say that Henry was crazy right to his face," she spat. "The look he gave me…"

Hermione grabbed Emma's hands. "Stop. You had no idea that he was listening. Henry is not crazy, we know he's not. You just need to convince him that you have faith in him."

"No, I need to leave before I end up hurting him more." She turned back to the gathering her clothes.

"You can't run forever."

A tense silence descended between them.

"Excuse me?" Emma choked out, spinning around to face Hermione. "What the hell would you know? You took off for a year to run around the countryside with two boys who are too stupid to live without you there hovering over their shoulder telling them what to do! Even now, you're running away so you can avoid facing anyone back home! So don't tell me that I can't run forever!"

Hermione's face flushed. "You're absolutely right, I have done my fair share of running. Learn from my mistakes! I ran, and it didn't work! I left England as soon as I could because I'm not ready to face my past. But, I have earned the right to be scared. I get to be not ready. You have had 10 years to put your past to bed; how much longer are you going to need?"

 _Seal my heart and break my pride_

 _I've nowhere to stand_

 _And now nowhere to hide_

Hermione found herself standing on a small beach, watching several small fishing boats bobbing in the distance. Emma's words kept reverberating in her head and she hated how right her sister was. Hermione was running, had been running for longer than she cared to admit.

Now that the war was over and they weren't so dependent on each other to survive, Hermione couldn't ignore the issues between the trio any longer.

Everyone had expected her and Ron to be together, even she had been caught up in the idea, but it quickly became obvious how impossible that was. If she was being perfectly frank, Ron was too immature and too selfish for anything to happen between them. All through their school years, Ron had only cared about his own wants and needs, his own interests, and if hers didn't match his then he would brush them aside as being idiotic and boring. They didn't match, and Hermione refused to pander to his fragile ego until he could see that for himself.

Harry was a different matter entirely. Hermione didn't doubt that Harry had taken Ron's side in all this, though she hadn't actually stayed around long enough to see that for herself. She couldn't bring herself to write to Harry, let alone see and speak to him. Even though she knew it was unfair to him, Hermione couldn't help feeling resentful towards Harry.

Since the incident at the Department of Mysteries, she'd been having to hide a slowly growing pit of anger towards her first friend. She had told him it was a trap, tried to get him to see that there was no way Sirius was being tortured in the Ministry of Magic, but Harry had refused to see reason and others had paid the price for it. Ron had been attacked by brains, Neville and Luna had suffered from broken bones, Hermione had almost been cut in half and burned alive from the inside out, and Sirius was dead. Harry had walked away with no injuries and without having learned his lesson about thinking things through.

And then came the Half-Blood Prince's book. Hermione had always stood for academic integrity, so it had been bad enough to watch Harry cheat over and over again and get away with it, but then Harry had crossed the line when he began using spells from it. He had no idea what they would do but he'd been stupid and reckless enough not to care and Draco Malfoy had nearly died because of him. He'd nearly killed another student and gotten away with it because he was The-Boy-Who-Lived. And then he'd had the gall to yell at her because she refused to defend his actions. Draco turning out to be a Death Eater did not justify nearly killing him in a school bathroom with an unknown spell. Instead of acknowledging that she'd had a point, Harry had continued insisting that Hermione was just jealous that Harry was better at Potion's than she was. Everything was falling apart around them but of course Bookworm Granger was just concerned about being first in her class. Finding out what he truly thought of her had stung and it had taken all she had to refrain from pointing out that without her knowledge, Harry would surely be dead already since he had all the critical thinking skills of flobberworm.

The final straw had been when they had been captured by the Snatchers. Harry had said the name and they had been caught but only Hermione had been tortured because of it. Because Harry once again failed at reigning in his temper, she'd paid the price and it was the point of no return for her. It wasn't fair of her, she knew that, but that was how she felt. He could say he was sorry all he liked but it was just a word now; after all, what was the point of sorry if nothing ever changed?

So Hermione had left, fled from the Golden Boy and his Ginger Sidekick, reuniting with her beloved older sister and making sure she couldn't be found. However, it seemed that trouble had still managed to find her, though this time it was in the form of a little boy and an unusual town.

It had only been a day, but already Hermione loved Henry as fiercely as she loved her parents and Emma. He was family, and there was no way she was going to leave him behind. She also couldn't allow him to go on thinking he was at all mentally unsound. There was magic in this town and Henry had been clever enough to spot it, and he'd been desperate enough to ask for their help without even knowing them. He trusted them, and it was time for Hermione to repay that trust in kind.

 _Align my heart, my body, my mind_

 _To face what I've done_

 _And do my time_

Henry was slouched on the couch in Dr. Hopper's office, staring intently at the handle of an umbrella, when Hermione strode through the door. Archie jumped up at the sight of her. "Miss Granger! I can explain."

She held up a hand. "No need, I just came to speak with Henry for a moment."

"I don't want to talk to you," Henry instantly stated, turning his head to face the opposite wall. "You think I'm crazy, just like Emma."

Hermione sighed. "Dr. Hopper, would you mind stepping out into the hall for a moment?" When it seemed as though he was going to object to leaving them alone, she added, "I would like to speak with Henry without having to worry about Regina getting a word-by-word recap of our conversation.

Archie blushed. "I understand. I can only give you a few minutes though. If the Mayor finds out…"

She nodded. "Thank you." Once the door was shut behind him, Hermione silently cast the _Muffliato_ charm before sitting down next to Henry. "You know," she started. "Calling this world a Land Without Magic is a bit misleading." He turned to look at her then, still slightly distrustful but interested in what she had to say. "After all, it's not as though there's no magic at all in this world; it's just different from that used in the Enchanted Forest."

With a flick of her wrist, a small ball of bluebell flames appeared in the palm of her hand and Henry shot straight up in his seat. There was a small puff as the flames went out and then, with another flick of her wrist, the papers resting on the table in front of them floated a foot up in the air.

Henry gaped at her. "You have magic!"

She leaned towards him. "Like I said," she allowed the papers to fall back to the table. "Not gone, just different."

He leapt off the couch. "You have to tell Emma," he ordered. "Show her that you have magic and then she'll believe and can break the curse."

"Emma already knows."

Henry blinked at her. "She knows?" he echoed.

Hermione nodded. "She's known about magic for almost ten years now."

"Then why doesn't she believe in the curse?"

"Because, Henry," she sighed. "It's quite a leap from believing in magic to believing in other worlds. Especially when believing in another world would also mean believing you're some kind of hero that will help win a war."

"But someone has to stop the Evil Queen!" His innocent righteousness hurt Hermione.

"Yes, but why does it have to be Emma? I know this is hard for you to understand, but you don't know what the cost of fighting in a war is. Emma does know- she's seen it." It felt to Hermione that she was always searching for the right words to use when explaining things to Henry. "I am not the only person who can use magic in this world, there's a whole hidden society actually. There was a dark magic user, a Dark Lord, much like Regina, who was trying to take over and it was said that only my friend Harry would be able to stop him. So, Harry had to fight in a war and as his friend, I did as well. The fighting only just ended about two months ago. Emma knows what happened to Harry, what happened to me, while we were trying to defeat the Dark Lord and she doesn't want that to happen again. Emma doesn't want to fight, Henry, and to be honest, neither do I."

Henry was quiet for a moment before hesitantly asking, "Did you get hurt fighting? Is that why you don't want to fight anymore?" Hermione nodded, and he frowned. "I don't want you to get hurt, either of you. But this time is different! You have magic and she doesn't so you can stop her without her being able to hurt you!"

Hermione hesitated, and tears filled Henry's eyes. "Please don't leave," he begged. "Please. You have to help."

She grabbed his hands. "I'm not leaving you, I promise. I just need you to understand why this is so difficult for both Emma and I."

"Promise you're not leaving?"

Hermione squeezed his hands. "I promise."

Henry took a shuddering breath. "Okay." He moved to hug her and Hermione returned the embrace, dropping a kiss to the top of his head.

"We will find a way to break this curse, Henry," she whispered into the top of his head. "You just need to trust that Emma and I are doing the best we can right now, even if you can't see that yourself."

It was then that Emma burst into the room, Archie right on her heels. "Miss Swan, I really must insist-"

"I don't care!" Emma snapped. "Listen, Henry, I'm sorry about what you heard. I swear I don't think you're crazy."

Henry pulled away from Hermione and met Emma's panicked gaze. "I know."

She stared at him. "You know?"

"Yeah, Hermione explained it to me."

It was then that Emma finally met Hermione's gaze. "I see."

Hermione kept her expression steady. While they both might have had to face some hard truths earlier today, they were still sisters. One fight was not going to be enough to stop them from having each other's back. Emma nodded and gave her a small smile before moving to kneel before Henry.

"There is one simple reason I stayed here, Henry: you. I wanted to get to know you. I'm sorry if you thought I was saying I think you're crazy because I don't. I think the curse is crazy, and it is. But that doesn't mean it isn't true. So, until we know for sure, I am reserving judgement."

He grinned at her. "I can live with that." They both stood and Henry threw his arms around Emma. "I knew you were here to help me."

Emma hesitantly hugged him back. "That's right, kid. I am." She met Hermione's eyes again and the fire there made Hermione grin. "And nothing, not even a curse, is going to stop that."

 _Well yes sir, yes sir, yes it was me_

 _I know what I've done_

 _'Cause I know what I've seen_

"So, we're dealing with a curse and fairytale characters."

They watched as Henry raced up the path to his house and slipped past Regina, who glared at them as she slammed the door shut.

"No," Hermione told her, softly. "We're dealing with a curse that involves trapping people in the town and stripping of them of their true identities and we might be dealing with people that have had stories written about them.

"We can't limit ourselves." She turned to face Emma. "If the curse is real, we can't just assume someone is a hero because their name is Prince Charming or judge a villain because they call themselves Captain Hook."

"Trust no one," Emma summarized, wrapping an arm around Hermione's shoulders. "Just my style." They started to walk back to the inn. "Seems Regina didn't take your warning seriously. Any idea what you're going to do now?"

"Well, it seems a verbal warning wasn't showy enough for her so this time I'm going to prove my abilities in a far more memorable way. My actions will prove to be just as formidable as my words."

 _I went out back and I got my gun_

 _I said, "You haven't met me,_

 _I am the only son"_

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 **Please leave a review on the way out!**


	5. Chapter 5

**(A/N): Hello guys! How have you all been? Hope things have been well! To my American readers, I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving and that you survived Black Friday. But also, I miss being able to have turkey and mashed potatoes since they're not a thing here and I am feeling slightly resentful. To my non-American readers, join me in resentfulness towards those who have just finished celebrating a holiday that is essentially all about food. It's great if you're there, less so if you're not.**

 **I want to give a shout out to curiousluna, , pendora59, Shatteredxo, Haruko Kakikomi, The Dark One Rising, bookfreak25, ReadLikeHermione, KindaTwisted21, Adhara Snow, and Guests for reviewing! You're beautiful and I love you!**

 **Special shout out though to MilandaAnza. She has really helped me delve into some of the more complex character relationships in these worlds, along with working through some plot points in the future and I appreciate her so much! She's amazing!**

 **Sorry if the updates have been a little slow- I'm working on a few other stories, one of which is my Lord of the Rings/Hermione crossover that will hopefully be fit to publish soon and a Hermione/Avengers piece that is still a work in progress. Fun times though!**

 **This chapter is all of episode 3 and I hope you enjoy it! Any familiar dialogue is, of course, not mine and belongs to OUAT creators. The quote you will see referenced is from the Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer. It's something that's stuck with me since I first heard it and I felt it was appropriate here.**

 **Lyrics is this chapter come from "Enemies" by Shinedown.**

 **Thanks to Hannbells! She didn't beta read this chapter but that's because I didn't ask. My bad. I'm still thankful though,** **just for her existence.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 _Listen up there's not a moment to spare_

 _It's quite a drop from the top_

 _So how you feeling down there?_

"Do you think her date is going well?" asked Hermione, staring at Dr. Whale and Mary Margaret.

Emma glanced over at the couple as well. "Yeah, right," she scoffed. "He looks more interested in staring at Ruby's ass and she looks like she wishes the floor would open up and swallow her."

"Wouldn't have thought he'd be her type." Hermione returned to idly staring at her tea.

"I'm guessing he's not." Emma sat back with a shrug. "I've gone out with plenty of guys who weren't my type."

"Yes, but most of those were for jobs."

"I generally got a free meal out of them, so they count." Emma grabbed the most recent printing of _The Mirror_ and flipped to the apartment listings.

"They won't have changed from yesterday," Hermione gently chided her.

She sighed and tossed the paper aside. "Well, they need to. We need to find somewhere other than the inn to stay if we're going to be here any longer."

"The Inn isn't that bad." It was a lie and both girls knew it. While their room was more than comfortable and big enough for the two of them, they were constantly being woken up by Granny and Ruby's shouting at all hours of the night.

"I'm about ready to sleep in the car if that's what it takes to get a full night's rest," Emma grumbled.

"Worst comes to worst, I've still got the tent," Hermione attempted to joke. Emma just frowned at the reminder of where her baby sister had been staying the past year.

"Check, please," they heard Mary Margaret call.

Emma studied the young teacher as she finally left the diner, head down and shoulders slumped. "So, that's my mother," she commented, her tone dry and unbelieving. She turned back to her sister. "What's your take on her?"

Hermione shrugged. "If you're asking for an unbiased opinion, then I can't give you one. If the curse is real, then that's the woman who shoved you in a wardrobe, a newborn left at the mercy of an unfamiliar and unforgiving world. And if the curse isn't real, then I haven't had the chance to properly get to know her enough to be judging her."

"You keep saying if, but I know you think the curse is real." Emma's belief, or lack thereof, was plain to see.

"I don't think the curse is real," Hermione corrected. "I just fear it is."

Emma leaned forward. "You know I won't let anything happen to you," she swore.

Hermione smiled gently. "It's not me I'm scared for. Whatever's going on here is powerful magic and you're the only one not affected by it. I'm worried about something happening to you."

"Well then, it's a good thing you're here then. You've got my back and I've got yours." She smirked at Hermione, who couldn't hold back her responding grin.

"On that note, are you ready to brave another night at the Inn? I believe Ruby has plans of stumbling in at around two in the morning, so it should make for another exciting night."

Emma groaned. "If you really loved me, you'd slip something into both of their drinks so they'd be passed out for the night."

Hermione shrugged. "Unfortunately for you, all your stories about jail have made it into a very unappealing place for me to visit so I'll have to pass on anything illegal."

"How boring of you."

"It's a gift. I would consider placing a silencing charm around the room so we wouldn't have to hear anything though."

Emma choked on her drink. "And you haven't offered to do this earlier why?"

"Because I was unsure if they were the type of inn keepers to check on the guests on a consistent basis," Hermione explained, as if it should be obvious. "They would have become concerned or suspicious if we never heard them when they knocked."

"Well, I think it's safe to assume that they aren't the concerned type so please, for the love of god, put up the damn silencing charm."

"Your wish is my command."

 _It's a cold, cruel, harsh, reality_

 _Caught, stuck_

 _Here with your enemy_

 _Who do you think you are?_

 _Tearing us all apart_

"I found him," Henry crowed when they met him the next afternoon at his castle.

"Found who?" Hermione asked, gently swinging her legs back and forth over the side looking out on the ocean.

"Emma's dad- Prince Charming!"

"Henry..." Emma sighed in exasperation as Hermione did her best to suppress a groan.

"He's in the hospital, in a coma." Henry pulled out his copy of _Once Upon a Time_ that Hermione had given him the night before and quickly flipped through the pages till he found a picture of Prince Charming. "See the scar? He has one, too."

"So?" Emma asked as Hermione studied the portrait. "Lots of people have scars."

"In the same place?" Henry scoffed. "Don't you see what this means? The curse is keeping them apart with the coma. Now they're stuck without each other. We have to tell Miss Blanchard we found her Prince Charming."

Hermione refrained from telling him that she thought both of them being alone for all time would be exactly what they deserved; that sounded uncomfortably similar to the Evil Queen's thoughts. "That may not be a good idea," she cautioned him. "Wouldn't it just make it harder for Miss Blanchard if she heard that her soulmate is in a coma and is unlikely to wake up?"

"But what if I'm right? We know who they are," Henry insisted. "Now they have to know."

"And how do you intend to make that happen?" Emma asked, resigned.

"By reminding him. We have to get her to read their story to John Doe." Henry clutched his book to his chest. "Then, maybe, he'll remember who he is."

Emma took a deep breath, about to respond before seeming to abruptly change her mind. "Okay."

Hermione's eyebrows rose in surprise as Henry echoed, "Okay?"

"Yeah," Emma nodded and gave him a smile that Hermione had seen repeatedly as a child whenever Emma thought she'd found a work around to whatever specific instruction she'd been given. "We'll do it. But we'll do it my way. Let me ask her."

 _Where do you think you can go?_

' _Cause everyone already knows_

 _It's 20 to 1_

 _Yeah so you better run_

"What are you up to?" asked Hermione as they walked down the street towards where they had been told Mary Margaret's apartment was.

"I know you said there's some sort of curse on this town and I believe you. What I don't believe in is other worlds where characters from children's stories reside," Emma explained. "I just don't want Henry to be disappointed when this doesn't end the way he expects it to."

"You're hoping that when she reads the story to John Doe and nothing happens, Henry will realize that his stories are just stories," Hermione realized. "But, what will you do should something happen with John Doe while Mary Margaret is with him?"

"I doubt that something is going to happen," Emma responded with a dry laugh. "I'm willing to take my chances."

"Famous last words," muttered Hermione.

"Whatever. You coming up with me or not?"

"I'll pass," she told Emma. "I think I'll wander more around the town and try to see if I can sense anything out of the ordinary that could be helpful."

"Have fun." Emma tucked Henry's copy of the storybook safely under her arm and walked into the apartment building.

Hermione turned and studied the street she was on, taking in the different business' and faces lining the picturesque square. While Hermione still wasn't entirely convinced that every single person there had a fairytale counterpart, she did believe that Henry's book was important. It was connected to the magic infusing this town somehow and she suspected that, even if the names were wrong in the book, the stories themselves were true. It was a history book of sorts, just with figures who had the same names as Disney characters. She hoped.

Emma may have forgotten about the boxes of newspapers that Hermione had in their room but she certainly hadn't. Having spent the last night reading through every paper, she was now certain that this town was somehow time-locked. Nothing ever changed in this town- not even ages. Almost every article in the paper was the exact same as the one printed on the same date in every other year. It was just an endless cycle of repeat and Hermione had to wonder how Regina hadn't lost her mind from the monotony of it all.

Henry seemed focused on finding the heroes from his book, Prince Charming and the Huntsman, but Hermione knew that the most valuable ally she could have here would be the supposed Rumpelstiltskin. He was both powerful and knowledgeable- something she would need if it came to an all-out fight with Regina.

What had stood out to her most while reading about the curse was that it had been created by Rumpelstiltskin himself. While it had seemed that everyone else who had known that had brushed it aside, chalking it up to Rumpelstiltskin creating something so terrible just because he could, Hermione knew that there had to be a reason for the curse to have taken everyone to this world in particular. Something about this land was important to the imp and she knew finding out what would be the key to getting him on their side. Their magic might not work here now but if that changed, Hermione knew that she would need someone to help her navigate through that mess.

The only person she had found that could possibly fit was Mr. Gold. She hadn't forgotten Ruby's comment about Mr. Gold owning the town and from what she had seen and heard, he was the only person whose power could rival that of Regina's. If he wasn't Rumpelstiltskin, then she would be back at square one.

 _You got the world on its knees_

 _You're taking all that you please_

 _You want more_

 _But you'll get nothing from me_

She started down the street, heading towards the pawn shop near the center of town. From what she had been able to observe, Mr. Gold would be leaving his shop soon and either head home for dinner or go to the diner. Hermione believed that he only went to the diner to eat to remind people of his existence and bask in their fear outside of the time of the month when rent was due. She had just turned onto his street when he came out of his shop, the sign showing that he was closed, and she watched him lock the door behind him. When Mr. Gold spotted her, he gave a small smile and limped over to her. "Still in town I see."

Hermione shrugged. "Yes, well, it seems there is much more to this town than originally meets the eye."

He studied her for a moment. "Indeed. Funny how that often seems to be the case with unimpressive things."

"Unimpressive isn't the word I would have chosen; stagnant would be much more accurate."

Mr. Gold's brows rose and then his grin widened. "Interesting choice. I would very much enjoy hearing more about your thoughts on Storybrooke. Would you care to join me for dinner?"

Hermione knew her gaze reflected his amusement. "Unfortunately, I have other plans for this evening. Could I call on you sometime tomorrow instead?"

"Certainly," he said with a small bow of his head. "Until then."

As Hermione stepped around him and continued down the street, she felt his gaze on her back and had to force herself to keep her pace even. She hadn't sensed any magical wards on the shop, which she had expected since their magic seemingly didn't work here but she felt it would be better safe than sorry.

Sliding in-between two shops, Hermione paused a moment to make sure no one had noticed her before disillusioning herself and apparating back to the pawn shop. She had considered appearing out in front of the shop in case the alarms were motion activated before remembering that everything in town seemed to have been created in the 1980s, well before any such security systems existed. And considering the fact that there were supposed to be no magic-users able to use their powers here, it was unlikely that she would encounter any wards or the like from inside. Unlikely was not the same as impossible though, so she kept her guard up.

Once she appeared on the other side of the locked door, Hermione froze and waited to see if her arrival had set anything off. She heard nothing, but still cast a low-grade detection spell to see if there were any signs of magic. Hermione would have preferred to use something stronger, but she still had trouble keeping her magic from negatively affecting the electronics around her. Her spell turned up nothing though, and she cautiously made her way around the shop.

It was filled to the brim with items, most of which seemed too unusual or too worthless for a pawn shop owner to keep. There were dolls, games, several mugs, tea sets, a dream catcher, and what looked to be a genie's lamp. The thing that stood out most to her though, was a beautiful, glass mobile. She moved closer to it, studying it intently, and her hand seemed to reach out of its own accord in order to stroke one of the tiny unicorns.

She pulled the storybook from her bag, having decided with Emma that it would be best for her to keep the original copy with her at all times, and flipped to a page near the end, comparing a sketch of the mobile in the storybook nursery to the one hanging in the shop. While the drawing wasn't of high-enough quality for her to be able to make a definitive match, Hermione couldn't ignore the similarities.

That mobile wasn't the only thing she had seen that resembled something that was drawn in Henry's book. She took her time searching the shop, keeping a mental list that matched things she had found with whom they had previously belonged to. The spinning wheel sitting in the back room behind the shop caused her to grimace. It wasn't until she started searching the cabinets beneath the cash register that she found what she was truly looking for.

Hermione pulled out a small stack of textbooks, each one dealing in what she assumed to be dark magic. She flipped through one of the books, calmly glancing at spells and potions ranging from giving life to inanimate objects to turning the blood of your enemy into acid. Once, such spells might have horrified her, but she had read about far worse magic while preparing to go on the run with Harry.

She slipped the books into her bag before setting the store to rights, wanting to delay Mr. Gold's knowledge of the thievery for now, though she planned on confronting him as soon as she was able. Regardless of whether or not he was Rumpelstiltskin, he was an unknown magic user and it would be better to deal with him sooner rather later.

 _You're like the burden we bear_

 _You're all the hate that we share_

 _You want more_

 _But you'll get nothing from me_

 _But enemies_

"How was your walk about town?" Emma asked when Hermione met her in the diner for dinner.

She shrugged. "It was fine."

Her sister took a sip of her water, studying her intently. "I know you're lying but I also know that

you knew I would be able to tell so I'm not going to push."

Hermione smiled and relaxed into her seat, once again reminded of how lucky she was to have someone like Emma for a sister. "I promise to fill you in once I've figured out things for myself."

"You never did like to share anything until you had all the information for yourself," Emma mused. "I only ever managed to get you to talk me when you were at the point of pulling your hair out in frustration."

"Too much time spent in classes where I was far smarter than anyone else taught me to internalize my thought process," Hermione muttered.

Emma winced. "Yeah, well, kids are assholes. Especially London prep-schoolers."

"Part of the reason I was so happy to be going to Hogwarts was because of how horrible you made secondary school sound," she admitted.

"It was better there than it would have been here in the states since they usually don't graduate until they're 18; I was more than ready to be out of school by the time I was 16."

Hermione bit her lip. She couldn't help wondering if things would have been different if Emma had done her schooling in the United States. They had come to America for a family vacation after Emma had finished secondary school and before she'd begun her studies for her A-levels. Emma had been allowed to choose where they went since she'd done so well on her final exams, and her sister had picked her birth country. Their parents had been very supportive of the idea; Hermione's mother had dual citizenship, after all, which is why they had been able to adopt Emma and it meant that the girls were also dual citizens.

If they had never come here, or even if they had not come here at that particular time, then Emma would never have met Neal. But, if she had never met Neal, then Henry would never have been born and it hurt to imagine a world without her nephew in it.

"Stop thinking," Emma ordered. Hermione jumped in her seat. "You were doing that face."

"You claim that I'm wearing my thinking face but, considering how I'm always thinking about something, it would be reasonable to say that this is how my face usually looks."

"Way to take a long walk for a short drink of water."

"I used just enough words to get my point across."

Ruby came over then and set two plates in front of them. "You know, most people wait until the other person is there to order food," she commented. "It's kind of nice that you just seem to know what the other person will want."

"The perks of being siblings that get along I suppose," Hermione told her, eagerly moving to dig into her food.

Emma waited until Ruby had walked away to begin speaking again. "So, Mary Margaret is going to the hospital tonight and then she'll meet us tomorrow morning to report to Henry that nothing happened."

"You know how I feel about confidence," Hermione murmured.

Her sister rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I remember. 'Confidence is ignorance' and all that crap."

"You forgot the last part of it. 'Confidence is ignorance. If you're feeling cocky, it's because there's something you don't know'."

 _You started something that_

 _You just couldn't stop_

 _You turned the ones that you love_

 _Into the angriest mob_

"Is she here yet?" Henry asked, bounding into the diner the next morning.

Emma and Hermione looked up at him, both feeling much more relaxed after finally being able to get another full night's worth of sleep. "Not yet," Hermione told him, scooting over so he could sit next to her.

"I'm impressed you managed to get away," Emma commented, studying him closely. "Where does your mom think you are?"

"Playing Whac-A-Mole," he told her, proudly, and Hermione stifled a laugh.

"And she bought that?" Emma asked in disbelief.

"Well, Mum bought similar lies when you used to tell them," Hermione said, finally letting out a laugh at Emma's glare.

"She wants to believe it, so she does," Henry told them with a shrug as he reached over to grab food off of Hermione's plate.

"Shocking," Emma told him dryly.

The door open then and Mary Margret walked in and Hermione thought that she seemed to be almost vibrating in excitement. "She's here!" Henry cried, waving her over.

"Hey," Emma interjected. "Don't get your hopes up, kid. We're just getting started, okay?"

Hermione rolled her eyes at her sister's tone. Her desire to not believe Henry was keeping her from seeing the obvious.

"He woke up," Mary Margaret told them, breathless.

"What?" Emma gaped at her.

"I knew it!" Henry crowed, bouncing in his seat.

"I mean," Mary Margaret hastily tried to explain. "He didn't 'wake up' wake up but he grabbed my hand."

Henry turned to beam at Hermione. "He's remembering!"

She forced herself to smile in return, even though she felt her stomach drop at the news. It wasn't conformation per say but still… why the bloody hell did it always end up being about fairy tales?!

He turned back to the other two women. "We have to go back. You have to read to him again." Henry stood up from the booth and grabbed Hermione's arm, dragging her up and out of the diner.

"Let's go!" Mary Margaret agreed, and Hermione turned to see her sister tugging the teacher to a stop.

"The curse is breaking!" Henry told her as soon as they were out of earshot. "I was right!" He looked up at her then and, much like his mother, instantly saw how she was truly feeling. "You're not excited?"

His crushed tone hurt her, and Hermione knelt down so that she was at his level. "I'm not excited," she told him honestly, catching his hands in hers. "But only because I know things will become messy after this and I don't like that."

Henry squeezed her hands. "But we have to stop the Evil Queen," he told her, firmly.

Hermione saw that the other two women had almost reached them. "We'll discuss this later," she hastily told him before straightening up. "You ready?" she asked Emma.

The steely gaze in her sister's eyes told her that Emma was preparing herself for the worst. "Let's do this."

 _And their one last wish_

 _Is that you pay for it_

 _And there's no way you're_

 _Getting out of this_

Hermione leaned against the back wall of the hospital security, observing the chaos happening within.

They'd arrived at John Doe's room to find it full of hospital personal that were being ordered around by Mayor Mills while Graham hovered in the background and no John Doe. Hermione honestly hadn't known whether to laugh or cry. Everyone was arguing over whether the unknown man had been kidnapped or if he had miraculously woken up and then somehow left the hospital without anyone seeing. Laughter had finally escaped her when Graham had commented that there were no signs of a struggle in the room- after all, how would a man still in a coma be able to fight back?

After Regina had dragged Henry away, Emma and Mary Margaret had volunteered their services in helping tracking down the runaway patient. Hermione, however, was only waiting long enough for conformation that the man had woken up and walked off on his own before she made her move.

Once the proper tape had been inserted, the group silently watched as John Doe got out of bed and walked out the side door of the hospital. "Where does this door lead?" Emma asked one of the janitors.

"The woods," he told her.

Emma sighed. "Well then, Sheriff, looks like you get to show off your tracking skills after all."

Graham smiled at her. "So it seems. I assume you'll be wanting to join me?"

"I will too!" Mary Margaret chimed in. "The more people the better, right?"

Hermione heard Emma give another sigh at the other woman's enthusiasm but her attention had been drawn back to the frozen image on the screen. She could barely hear anything over the pounding of her heartbeat in her ears. _It was too much_. Fairy tale characters roaming the streets of Maine, her nephew reappearing at the lowest point in both her and her sister's life, and the magic saturating the very air around them was wreaking havoc on her nerves.

 _Dear god, the magic._ It was so oppressive, like it was trying to squeeze the life out of her. The more she tried to suppress her own magic, the more it seemed to tear at her.

"I have an appointment I need to get to," Hermione murmured, turning to look at the group. "Call me if you need me."

She met Emma's gaze calmly, allowing her to see the rage that was slowly sweeping through her. If Regina's magic wanted to push her, then she was more than willing to push back. Hermione had already helped take down a Dark Lord and she had no problem destroying an Evil Queen.

If Regina had anything to do with what happened to Emma as a child then Hermione would show her what true pain felt like and she wouldn't have a shred of guilt doing it.

"Good luck," was all Emma told her.

 _Who do you think you are?_

 _Tearing us all apart_

 _Where did you think you could go?_

' _Cause everyone already knows_

 _It's 20 to 1_

 _Yeah, so you better run_

Hermione strode down the street and pushed open the door to Mr. Gold's pawn shop. The shop's proprietor was standing at the counter and he greeted her with a smile. "Well, if it isn't Miss Granger."

"Good morning, Mr. Gold," she responded as she stepped towards him. She looked him over critically, studying his carefully put-together look.

"I'm pleased to see that you remembered to stop by, though surprised to once again find you on your own. Where is that charming sister of yours?"

Hermione shrugged. "I would guess that she is still off searching for the supposed John Doe with the Sheriff and Miss Blanchard."

Mr. Gold smirked slightly, seemingly unsurprised with what she'd said. "And you decided not to go with them?"

"Yes, well, saving the day isn't really my job, is it?"

He tilted his head and his lips pulled up into a small smirk. "No, I suppose it isn't."

Hermione and Gold stared at each other for several moments before she sighed and moved to stand right in front of him on the other side of the counter.

"I know you enjoy playing games but I'm not in the mood for a battle of wits at the moment, though I do believe you're one of the only ones here who could possibly prove to be a challenge, so I'll just get on with it."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Mr. Gold replied with a pleasant smile. "Care to enlighten me?"

"Well of course you don't know what I'm talking about," Hermione sniffed, with a dismissive wave of her hand. "I haven't told you."

"Well then, feel free to get on with it."

"My my, aren't you rather impatient?" she commented with a smirk not unlike his own. "Not too surprising, I guess, given who you are. Having all the power does tend to get results rather quickly, doesn't it?"

"I wouldn't know. After all, I'm just a simple shop keeper."

Hermione laughed. "Oh, I highly doubt that. No, you seem to be a man who dabbles in many things."

"Really? And what kind of things do you think I dabble in?"

"Oh, you know, the usual. Baking, needlework, helping those in need, spinning straw into gold, stealing children, all those kinds of fun things."

Mr. Gold smirked. "I see you've been talking to Henry. Quite an imagination that boy has."

"I thought I told you I wasn't in the mood to play games," Hermione said, as her eyes grew cold. With a flick of her wrist, the book in front of Gold slammed shut and slid down to the other side of the counter. Gold's eyes widened and he took a step back, grasping his cane. "Now that I have your attention, mind explaining to me what exactly is going on here, _Rumpelstiltskin?_ "

Gold's hand tightened on his cane. "Well, you are just full of surprises, aren't you, dearie?"

Hermione just stared at him silently, hoping he'd realized that she wasn't messing around.

Finally, he said, "Let's say, for arguments sake, that I am Rumpelstiltskin. Why would you be interested in talking to me?"

She sighed. "Was your former intelligence lost in the move here or have you always been this obtuse? You know why I'm here."

Gold gave her a twisted smile. "I suppose that means that we are done with the pleasantries. To business, then."

He walked around the counter and over to the door, flipping the sign from 'Open' to 'Closed' and then walked over to the curtained covered doorway leading into the back of the shop. He pulled the cloth aside and then glanced back at Hermione. "Coming, dearie?"

 _You got the world on its knees_

 _You're taking all that you please_

 _You want more_

 _But you'll get nothing from me_

Gold offered her a seat by the small table he kept in the back of his shop while he perched on the chair beside his spinning wheel. "I must say, I didn't expect to see one such as yourself in this world. How did you manage to keep your powers? Considering that even I never laid eyes on you in the Enchanted Forest, it is quite the feat to have managed to escape the confines of the curse."

Hermione smirked. "It would seem that both you and the Queen were mistaken about the world you were traveling to; calling it a 'World Without Magic' is a bit of a misnomer. Perhaps calling it a 'World Without Common Knowledge of Magic' would be more accurate, though definitely more wordy."

His hands tightened around his cane. "There is magic in this world?"

"Yes, though as I said, that fact is not commonly known. The magic communities in this world prefer to work behind the scenes since our population is rather limited." She studied him. "I think it's safe to say that you came to this world for a reason. Would you care to share what that reason is?"

Gold sat back in his chair. "I would rather not."

Hermione shrugged. "If you're sure. So," her tone lowered, a heavy look shadowing your eyes. "You're really Rumpelstiltskin? And the Mayor is the Evil Queen?" She needed to hear him confirm it before her mind would be able to fully accept it, despite all the evidence she had.

"Yes," he answered, studying her closely.

"And you were all brought here by a curse?"

"Also correct."

Hermione tensed. "My sister is the one who is supposed to break the curse?"

Rumpelstiltskin leaned forward. "Might I suggest that, instead of wasting your time asking questions you already know the answer to, you ask me what it is you really want to know."

She took a deep breath, gathering her courage. "What is the cost of Emma breaking this curse?"

"Emma is a product of True Love and the curse was built around her- she was born to break it. And I'm sure you know of how a curse is broken in our world."

"True loves kiss?" Rumpelstiltskin nodded, and Hermione sighed. "Lovely. Does it have to be her that breaks it?"

"Afraid so, dearie." He didn't sound very apologetic about it and Hermione watched him with narrowed eyes. "If you want to know anything more, then I'm afraid it's going to cost you. I am a business man after all."

Hermione scowled at his smirk. "Yes, I am aware of your love of deals. But you should be aware," she flicked her fingers and Gold jerked his hands away from his cane, which had spontaneously become so hot that it burned his fingers, and they watched it clatter to the floor. "That I'm the one with all the power at the moment. If I really wanted to, I could rip your mind to pieces and take all the information I wanted from it, leaving you as little more than a husk. However, I would prefer to have you as an ally."

Instead of looking angry at her intimidation tactics, Rumpelstiltskin seemed almost thrilled with her ruthlessness. "A question for a question," he offered.

She nodded in agreement. "With the understanding that neither of us have to answer something if we don't want to."

He nodded and a half-smile appeared on his face. "Normally I would have you sign a contract but alas, I didn't have the chance to draw one up."

Hermione laughed. "Yes, this will have to remain a verbal contract. It shouldn't be too hard to keep to, since neither of us are promising anything more than knowledge."

"Aren't you worried about my honesty? After all, I am known for making deals that benefit me more than the others in agreement." He was honestly curious about the petite female in front of him. She was obviously very close to her sister, and he had seen how protective Emma was of her. But it was also clear to him that Hermione was a soldier, the look in her eyes mirrored in many of the men he had seen in the Enchanted Forest. Her ruthlessness reminded him of his own, both willing to do whatever it took to protect their family. It was her looks that had first caught his attention though. When they had first met, back in the elder wolf's inn, she had studied him with a steady gaze that reminded him of Belle. It had almost overwhelmed him, the return of all his memories at the sound of Emma's name and then the sight of a girl who looked so much like his Belle, another innocent soul that he had ruined just by being him.

Her personality was more like his own though, and the thought passed through his mind to be quickly locked away that she might have been what a child of his and Belle's would have been like.

"I could ask the same of you," Hermione retorted. "But I think it's safe to say that we both know how to spot a liar. Besides," she gave him a true smile then and he couldn't help but stare. "This wouldn't be fun if there wasn't a little bit of risk."

Rumpelstiltskin chuckled then in genuine amusement, something he hadn't done in years. "Now I see why your sister keeps such a close eye on you."

Her expression darkened for just a second before it was wiped away, replaced by an opaque gaze. "Speaking of Emma, I should probably get going. She's off in the forest searching for Prince Charming and I'd like to be there when the Mayor finds out just how quickly things are starting to unravel for her here."

"While she may not have any magic here, you should still be wary of the Queen," he warned. "Regina isn't the kind of person to just watch as things don't go her way. Make no mistake, she will fight back, and she most certainly won't fight fair."

"And I'll be ready for her," Hermione told him confidently, her eyes flashing with barely contained rage. "I'm no Snow White, refusing to protect my family or innocent people by allowing a murderer to run around because I don't want their death on my hands. If Regina wants a fight then I'll give her one; she will rue the day she even thought of hurting my sister."

"I look forward to seeing how you handle her," he told her, bending over to pick up his cane and standing, escorting her out of the shop. He didn't let his thoughts on her words show, just calmly watched her walk down the street from his shop and turn the corner, heading towards the hospital.

Her hatred from Regina was understandable given what had happened with her sister and the Queen's treatment of Henry. However, her obvious disgust with Snow White was unexpected. Rumpelstiltskin was looking forward to just what Hermione's presence would bring to Storybrooke.

 _You're like the burden we bear_

 _You're all the hate that we share_

 _You want more_

 _But you'll get nothing from me_

 _But enemies_

Once Hermione turned the corner and was out of sight of Gold, she slipped into an alleyway and apparated to the edge of town, right near where the sign that she and Emma had crashed into two nights ago had been. She walked right up to the wards, reaching out with her magic to brush against it.

Hermione had always had a fascination with Warding and had spent as much time as she could with the eldest Weasley brother talking about how they worked. Bill had worked for several years as a Curse-Breaker with Gringotts, many of which were spent in Egypt working on dismantling the security placed around the ancient tombs hidden throughout the desert. He had taught her the different ways wards were placed: some were tied to objects, such as the ones guarding Hogwarts and other wizarding dwellings, while others were tied to actual people. Wards guarding places, he had explained, were tied to stones placed around the property so that they wouldn't have to be constantly reapplied whenever someone died. However, the downside to those wards was that a person wasn't as attuned to them as one would be to a ward tied to themselves- if there was an issue, one probably wouldn't realize until it was too late. However, wards tied to people came with significantly more risks. Outside of the fact that, should a person die, the wards would fall, it took much more energy to maintain the wards and the person holding them were tied intimately to them. It gave a person much more control over them, but any attacks against the wards would be felt by those tied to them. 'Only someone who needed absolute control,' he'd told her, 'would tie wards to themselves.'

Someone like Regina.

The smirk that graced Hermione's face was reminiscent of the ones Draco Malfoy wore while strutting the halls of Hogwarts during their younger years. She went about collecting stones on the forest floor, carefully enchanting each of them and spreading them evenly along the edge of the wards. There was no need for Hermione to waste time placing the stones around the entire edge of the wards; it wasn't like Regina would be able to pinpoint exactly where an attack was coming from.

Once she was done, she apparated to the forest on the edge of the hospital, just in time to see John Doe being wheeled into the hospital with Emma, Mary Margaret, Graham, and Henry following close behind. Hermione cut across the grass and called, "I see you found him."

The group whirled around in surprise and Henry's face lit up. "Aunt Hermione!" he raced over to her side. "We found him!" he whispered-shouted. "We found Prince Charming!"

"Of course you did," she told him warmly. "With you being the one searching for him, there was never a doubt he'd be found."

Henry flushed at her compliment before grabbing her hand, dragging her down the hall to where everyone was gathered outside John Doe's hospital room. Emma gave her a look telling her that they'd be discussing where she went later before throwing her arm around her younger sister's shoulders.

They watched the doctor and nurses work in silence for a moment before a blond woman came racing down the hall and burst into the room. "David! David, is that you?!"

Dr. Whale immediately moved to prevent her from coming further into the room. "Excuse me, ma'am?"

"Oh my god," she whispered, staring at the unconscious man, seemingly in shock.

"Ma'am," Dr. Whale began again. "You can't be in here, ma'am. You can wait over here for a second, okay?" He led her over to where the group was standing, hovering around the door.

The woman didn't even seem to notice them, frozen in place where Whale had placed her. "Who is that?" Mary Margaret whispered, staring at the blond woman in confusion.

"His wife," came Regina's voice from behind them.

 _Where did you think you could go?_

' _Cause everyone already knows_

 _It's 20 to 1_

 _Yeah, so you better run_

"His name is David Nolan," Regina explained. "And that's his wife, Kathryn. And the joy on her face, well, it's put me in quite the forgiving mood." She glanced over at where Henry was sitting, slumped into a chair next to Hermione. "We'll talk about your insubordination later. Do you know what insubordination means?" Henry slowly shook his head and Hermione glared at Regina, angry with her for speaking down to her nephew like that. She reached out and took his hand, squeezing it gently and smiling at him when he glanced at her. "It means you're grounded," Regina told him, glowering at Hermione.

Kathryn stepped up to where Regina and Mary Margaret were standing, Emma having moved to sit in a chair opposite from Henry and Hermione. "Thank you," she told Mary Margaret, her face filled with honest joy. "Thank you for finding my David."

Mary Margaret stared at the woman in confusion and Hermione caught a hint of pain in her eyes. "Um, I- I don't understand. You didn't… you didn't know that he was here in a coma?"

Turning to look back through the glass doors at her husband, Kathryn sighed. "A few years ago, David and I were not getting along. It was my fault, I know that now." She turned back to young teacher. "I was difficult and unsupportive. I told him if he didn't like things, he could leave. And he did. And I didn't stop him; it was the worst mistake I ever made."

Emma leaned forward, studying the other blond woman. "You didn't go look for him?"

"I assumed he'd left town all this time," Kathryn explained. "And now I know why I never heard from him. Now I get to do what I've wanted to do forever: say I'm sorry. Now, we get a second chance." She beamed at the group, happiness radiating from her.

Hermione wasn't watching Kathryn though, instead taking in Regina's self-satisfied expression. All through Dr. Whales explanation, Regina continued to look more and more smug over the situation, smirking at Mary Margaret's pained expression when she thought no one was looking. Once Kathryn and Dr. Whale had moved back into David's room, she finally turned to leave. "Henry," she summoned. "Let's go."

Henry reluctantly stood up, Hermione rising with him. As he turned to grab his backpack and whisper something to his teacher, Hermione silently activated one of the stones.

Regina stumbled forward, grabbing her chest. "Careful," Hermione commented, stepping in front of her. "Are you alright?" she asked, feigning concern. "You don't look so good."

The Mayor blinked at her in shock, chest heaving as she tried to breathe through the pain. "What the hell was that?" she finally muttered, locking eyes with Hermione.

"I have no idea," Hermione told her, keeping her gaze steady. "Maybe you overexerted yourself. You should work on that." She leaned in closer to Regina, dropping her voice. "After all, it would be truly tragic if something were to happen to you, wouldn't it?"

Hermione couldn't help the spark of satisfaction she felt at the momentary fear in Regina's eyes. _That's right,_ she thought, watching Regina shuffle Henry quickly out of the hospital. _You should fear me._

 _You got the world on its knees_

 _You're taking all that you please_

 _You want more_

 _But you'll get nothing from me_

After Emma had chased after Regina and spoken with her in low tones, Hermione and Emma watched as the Mayor walked away. "Notice how she said, 'Miss Nolan' instead of Missus," Hermione commented.

Emma turned to look at her. "So?"

"So, for a woman who seems to strive for perfection in every aspect of her life, I'm rather surprised she would make such a mistake."

Cocking her head to the side, Emma considered her point. "You think she's not really John Doe's wife and Regina knows about it?"

"You were the one pointing out the unusualness of this Kathryn's appearance and I agree- it's like she just appeared out of thin air."

"Or at least her memories did," Emma muttered, turning to head back to look at Mary Margaret as she exited the hospital, head down.

"Well," Hermione responded, softly. "You and I both know that not all memories are real- or are your own."

"If you're right, then why bother creating a wife and new life for John Doe? What does she gain from it?" Emma was growing more frustrated at the situation.

"We know something is going on with this town- that's a definite. Maybe his lack of memories makes him an unknown factor, and we both know how much Regina seems to hate those."

Emma nodded slowly. "Giving him a wife and background, even if he doesn't actually remember them himself, is giving him a place."

"Individuals tend to fight less against their oppressor if they feel they have somewhere they belong."

"She's making sure he won't fight back," Emma scowled. "But, why hasn't he, David, have any memories if Regina can manipulate them like that?"

"All of Regina's power is being funneled into holding the curse over this town; she may have found a way to scrounge up enough to manipulate Kathryn's memories but it wouldn't be enough to give David all new ones. I don't think she planned on him waking up so no backstory was made for him, hence the blank slate. Unfortunately for her though, he's not the one she should be concerned about."

Her sister turned to study her. "Does this have anything to do with what you were up to earlier?"

Hermione smiled at her, a smile that Emma recognized as one she herself had whenever she had a target backed into a corner. "Did you see how she grabbed her chest earlier?"

"Yeah," Emma said, slowly. "You didn't attack her with a spell or something, did you?"

"Of course not," Hermione rolled her eyes. "That would have been too obvious."

Emma groaned. "Yeah, that's the real issue there."

"I didn't attack her," Hermione continued, ignoring her sister. "I did, however, send a magical charge through the wards, one that affects the person who cast them."

As she slowly comprehended what Hermione was telling her, Emma's expression hardened. "So, we can for sure say that she's the one trapping everyone here? She set the wards and is messing with everyone's memories."

She nodded. "Yes, she's responsible for what's going on here. Henry was right- she's cursed everyone here."

"What are we going to do?" Emma asked, feeling slightly out of her depth with the magical aspect of this.

Hermione linked arms with her sister, gently towing her towards the car. "Divide and conquer. I'll keep her focused on me while you figure out more about what's happening in town. She'll be so busy trying to keep up with me that she won't see you coming until it's far too late."

"I like it." Emma climbed into the driver's seat and turned on the car while Hermione slid in next to her. "Let's catch ourselves a so-called Evil Queen."

 _You're like the burden we bear_

 _You're all the hate that we share_

 _You want more_

 _But you'll get nothing from me_

 _But enemies_

* * *

 **Please leave a review on the way out!**


	6. Chapter 6

**(A/N): Hello all! Here is a holiday present for all you wonderful readers, and a birthday present to myself. That's right, it's my birthday and I'm giving you a gift on it because I'm just that awesome.**

 **Shoutouts to Bronzelove, , Carol542, FrumiousBandersnatch10, Najada, ReadLikeHermione, Eadane, jcanderson33, pendora59, OneWomanStorm, EraticMind, tayaboo72, KindaTwisted21, NicoleR85, and Guests for reviewing! I love hearing your thoughts on what's happening! You're all rays of sunshine!**

 **Special shout out to MilandaAnza for her continued help with this plot. It's very helpful to have someone who has seen the show in its entirety since I have only gotten to season 5. OUAT is not on Netflix here and it hurts my soul.**

 **Heartfelt gratitude towards fringeperson for indulging in my obsessive fangirling self. If you haven't read her works then I highly recommend! She has two SPECTACULAR Emma/Jefferson stories that helped inspire parts of this story that you should read when you have the chance, along with some Rumbelle and a OUAT/HP crossover of her own!**

 **This chapter is all of episode 4 and I hope you enjoy how much we've started to deviate from the episode plot lines. They're there, of course, but now we just leave Emma to her heroing while Hermione goes off and does her own thing. Any familiar dialogue is not mine and belongs to OUAT creators.**

 **Lyrics in this chapter come from "Invincible" by Adelitas Way.**

 **As always, thanks go to Hannbells!**

 **Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 _Bow down I'm in invincible tonight_

 _I'm alive, take a look into my eyes_

 _This time I'ma take you for a ride_

 _I'm invincible tonight_

"We have got to find someplace else to live," Hermione informed her sister, carefully studying the newspaper as they sat in their regular booth at Granny's.

"We've already looked there," Emma reminded her. "There's nothing in this town. We'll just have to make do at the Inn unless you want to take Mary Margaret up on her offer," she teased.

Hermione glowered at her sister. "No, I do not."

Emma shook her head in amusement, sipping at her coffee. "I don't get why you dislike her so much; you don't know anything about her other than her supposed fairytale self from Henry's book."

"If it was reversed," she asked softly. "If I had been the one abandoned in the woods less than an hour after being born with nothing more than a blanket, would you be jumping for joy at spending any time with someone potentially responsible?"

Her hands tightened around her mug at the thought of her baby sister being abandoned the way she was. "Hell no," she finally growled.

"Exactly. And I think I'll go speak with Mr. Gold today and see if he knows of any apartments." Her quick change of subject caused Emma to blink at her.

"I forgot that I needed to finish at least one cup of coffee before trying to deal with you," she grumbled, downing the last dregs left in her cup. "Why would Gold know about apartments anyway? And I thought we were avoiding him since everyone seems to hate him."

"Since he owns most of the buildings in town, he would know of any vacancies," she explained. "And everyone hates him because he's so powerful- no one really likes their landlord, especially a strict one. Besides, considering the fact that everyone here is a just a character in Regina's little story, isn't it curious that she would make one man almost as powerful as she was?"

Emma considered her words, thoughts racing. "You're right," she slowly agreed. "Regina doesn't seem like the sharing type, so it doesn't make sense why she would give Gold any sort of control. She did make sure that no one likes him though, he's hated even more than she is."

"He won't be staging a coup anytime soon," Hermione concurred. "But that doesn't mean he wouldn't be a good ally against Regina and I certainly like him more than her."

"Just so were clear," Emma leaned forward, dropping her voice. "This is a platonic like, right?"

"Emma!"

"What?" she teased, grinning at her sister's obvious embarrassment. "I'm just checking. You do, after all, have a habit of crushing on older men."

"You're a monster and I'm leaving." Hermione slid out of the booth and snatched her bag, hurrying out of the restaurant.

"Okay, but behave yourself," she heard Emma calling after her. "Make good choices!"

Hermione turned to look at her through the diner's front window and stuck her tongue out as she hurried past.

 _Believe me_

 _You never met a motherfucker like me_

 _Bet you've never seen the things that I've seen_

 _Bottled up inside_

 _This time I'm taking back my life_

"Welcome back," Gold greeted as Hermione walked into his shop. "I didn't expect to see you again so soon."

"Well, we did make a deal," she reminded him, moving to lean against the counter in front of him and setting her bag on the floor. "And I would hazard a guess that you have as many questions for me as I do for you."

He set down his pen. "That we did. However, I do have a shop to run so if you're going to be hanging around here, I expect you to make yourself useful."

"What did you have in mind?"

"It would seem that my cursed self never felt the need to keep a ledger of the items that are in the shop. If you wouldn't mind helping me catalogue each item, I would be much obliged."

Hermione frowned. "Aren't all the items in the shop from your collection in the Enchanted Forest?"

Gold scowled. "They are, but when I was looking for something earlier I realized that it wasn't here; it seems that not everything came through with the curse."

She rolled her eyes and was unable to keep the sarcasm from her tone. "I see. So, do you just want me to list out what I've found, or would you like me to try and match it up with its original owner?"

He smiled blandly at her. "Whatever you think is best, dearie. And I do believe that you now owe me three questions."

Hermione froze, staring at him as she leaned over the counter to grab one of his notebooks from where he kept them stashed beneath the cash register. She went over their conversation in her head and scowled at him. "You know, this is why people don't like you."

"I am aware of that." He retrieved a blank notebook for her. "Do try and refrain from plastering yourself anywhere else in the shop."

She grumbled for a moment before taking the notebook and sighing. "Alright, ask away."

"Tell me how Emma came to be part of your family," he instantly ordered.

Hermione smirked at him. "I'm sorry, but I only agreed to answer your questions, not your demands."

Gold gave her that smile that told her he was pleased with how quickly she'd caught onto his game. "How did Emma become your sister?"

Turning to walk over to the shelves on the right side of the room, Hermione studied the objects in front of her without really seeing them as she tried to compose herself. "Our mom is American," she finally started. "She met our dad when he was here for a semester abroad.

"They were both studying to become dentists and Dad came to the states to see whether he wanted to do his dental schooling here. The way he tells it, they had one class together and after speaking with her once, he never looked back." Rumpelstiltskin stayed silent, staring down at one of his many ledgers with a pen in hand, knowing that he would get more from her if he allowed her to speak at her own pace.

"Once they'd graduated, Mum and Dad got married and moved to a practice in Minnesota for an internship that one of their former professors had arranged for them. They'd only been in Minnesota for a month or so when they met Emma. She'd been brought in for a cleaning by her foster mother and I think it was love at first sight for Mum. Here was this tiny, adorable, blond child who had clearly been abused. She never said anything to me, but I know that Emma was being mistreated at that foster home and that's why she got taken out. As soon as she was removed, Mum and Dad fought to have her placed with them.

"The system was so crowded, and they were having trouble placing all of the children in homes, so the State agreed to allow them to foster Emma since Mum was still a citizen and provided that Emma was alright with it and they submitted to monthly, random checks. A few months later they legally adopted her and moved back to Britain shortly thereafter. I was born a year or so later and that was that."

He'd watched her as she wrote down each item she'd found as she talked, a little impressed at her ability to multitask. "Your sister doesn't have a British accent," he commented, wondering if she was distracted enough to continue talking.

She wasn't. "That wasn't a question," she commented glibly, still scribbling away.

"Why did your sister move to America?" he finally settled on asking.

She smiled slightly down at her notebook. "After she graduated from secondary school, Emma got to choose where we went on vacation since she did such a great job. She chose America and after our vacation was over, she decided to stay here." Hermione decided to throw him a bone and added, "She got a job as a bail bondsman and she worked to hide her accent so that she would stand out less."

"I see," his tone was light but there was something else there, something he had somehow managed to infer from her words. She just wasn't sure what that was though; maybe he knew she was giving him the lite version of the truth. "And your parents were alright with you joining her here?"

Hermione inhaled sharply. "Our parents are currently in no position to have an opinion on my being here and that's not likely to change." The pain in her voice was enough to tell him where their parents were. "My turn to ask a question," Hermione said, hoping to distract him. She turned to look at him and he inclined his head at her, silently telling her to get on with it. "Why does Regina hate Snow White?"

He smirked. "I'm surprised that Henry's little storybook didn't tell that particular tale. Well, if you really want to know, then I'm happy to oblige. Once upon a time," he started, clearly amused and Hermione gave him a look before focusing intently on his story.

By the time he was finished, Hermione was practically vibrating in anger. "So, let me see if I got this right," she started, her hair sparking ominously. "Regina was in love with Daniel, her mother didn't approve and her father was too spineless to say anything, and Snow White informed Cora of their plan to run away together which led to Daniel's death."

"That about covers it." He seemed delighted by her anger.

Hermione could understand why Regina had come to hate Cora and Snow, though why the woman had thought she could entrust her secret to a child without someone as manipulative as Cora finding out was beyond her, but this still seemed a bit excessive. "Regina had to have known that she couldn't run from her mother forever," Hermione commented. "From what you've said about Cora, she was an accomplished magician and would probably have been able to track them down quickly enough, so the end result would have been the same. Cora wanted a noble for her daughter, not a servant. She would never have been able to stay with Daniel."

"True, but grief is a powerful thing. By focusing her anger on Snow White, Regina doesn't have to face the fact that Daniel's death is partially her own fault. Their love may have been strong, but Regina knew just how powerful Cora was. If she had really wanted to protect Daniel, she should have stayed away, or done away with her dear mother first. But she didn't, and now here we all are."

"Here we are," Hermione echoed. "Trapped in a small town in Maine; it's like a dream come true."

"Depends on what kind of dream you speak of."

She smirked. "Your turn."

"Why do you seem to hate Snow White?" Gold asked, watching her shoulders hunch. "I must confess, I would have thought you'd like her more simply because she's Emma's mother, yet you seem to hate her as much as Regina."

"That's because I do." Her pen pressed into the pages so harshly that the ink bled through. "Regina may have been the one to cast the curse, to cause so much pain to the residents of your world, but Snow is the one who stood by and did nothing time and time again. I have fought in a war, Rumpelstiltskin. I have fought and lost and _bled_ in order to save everyone from a dark magic user like Regina. The reason he lived so long, the reason he caused so much damage, is because the people who were supposed to fight him limited themselves in their attacks. They were told that killing is wrong and that their enemy should always be brought in alive if at all possible, despite how many times they managed to escape their cages. We were told that _love_ ," she sneered, "Is the most powerful magic of all and that by remembering that feeling we would emerge victorious."

It still burned how much Dumbledore had mislead them. She would never know for sure just why it was he had lied to Harry about how he had been saved, but, if she had to guess, Hermione assumed it was because he had been worried that Harry would turn out to be another Dark Lord if he learned about the more complicated sides of magic. The parallels between Harry Potter and Tom Riddle were easy to see for one who knew both stories and Dumbledore was far too controlling to leave anything to chance so he'd done everything he could to limit Harry to only "light" magic.

Harry had told them Dumbledore's explanation of how he'd supposedly survived the Killing Curse- had explained how Lily's love for him had saved him. If that were true though, then his placement with the Dursley's wouldn't have made sense because they certainly hadn't loved him. No, Lily hadn't saved Harry because she loved him; she'd saved him through her blood. Lily Potter had sacrificed herself to save her son and had invoked a magic more ancient than any taught in Hogwarts and it had been bound by her blood. That was why Harry had carried that protection with him until he had come into his own magic, why he had been placed with an aunt who hated him but was his mother's only blood relative.

Too bad those kinds of magic were far too gray for the Chosen One.

"Those seem to be very similar sentiments to what Snow White and Charming believed in the Enchanted Forest," he commented.

Hermione turned to look at Rumpelstiltskin with burning, golden eyes. "Love didn't save them when they were being ripped apart by the monsters lurking in the dark. It didn't stop mothers from being forced to bury their children. It didn't save the innocents from being tortured. Love isn't what ended the war.

"People like Snow White like to pretend that war isn't bloody and ugly- like to think that self-righteous thinking and clean hands will be what lets them prevail when in reality, all that kind of thinking does is increase the body count. How many people died because of their inaction? How many parents were taken from their children? How many hearts were ripped out of chests? How many people were left to wonder where their loved ones were and whether or not they were suffering?

"How many people were burned by the fires of war before being torn away to this land, the memories of who they were locked away forever?"

Rumpelstiltskin stared at her, wondering if this is what he would have become had he not escaped from fighting in the Ogre Wars. "And what did fighting in the war cost you?"

Hermione stared at him for a moment longer, thoughts of parents turning away from her darting into remembrances of burning pain as she lay on a marble floor and staring down at the body of little Colin Creevey flashing through her mind before she turned away from him again. "Sorry, but you'll have to wait your turn before you get to ask another question."

It was quiet for several moments as Hermione worked to recollect herself and remember the questions she had wanted to ask him. Finally, she asked, "How does the Dark Ones power differ from the other magic users in your world?"

She could hear the smile he was wearing as he spoke. "In the world we originated from, magic was everywhere. It affected every living creature and shaped everyone's lives. While the people who had the most interaction with it were magic users, even those who had no powers themselves could affect the magic in the land. However, all magic comes with a price. For those who actively used magic, that price would usually come from themselves- it would leech away their energy so to speak. The Dark One, however, takes the price of the magic used from others which allows for almost limitless power."

"So," Hermione started, intrigued. "That's why you needed to make deals. In order for you to use your magic to give them what they asked, they had to sacrifice something themselves. Although, it seems to me that you would occasionally take the cost of the magic from something else rather than the person you were dealing with in order to get what you wanted."

He didn't respond to her comment, though he didn't really need to. "How does the magic in this world work?"

"The fundamental aspects of magic here is not all that different from the Enchanted Forest," she began to explain. "Here though, almost everyone needs a wand in order to channel their magic and non-magic users are unaware of the magical world. Most witches and wizards come from magical families except for the rare few born to non-magical parents. In Britain, children are sent to a magical school where they are trained for seven years on numerous magical subjects."

Rumpelstiltskin hummed in thought. "In my world, children generally need to find a private tutor in order to use magic unless their parents also have the ability."

"Who trained Regina?" Hermione asked, though she suspected she already knew the answer.

"I did," he stated, unapologetically. "She reached out to me and I could sense how powerful she could be so agreed to help train her."

"For a price of course," she snorted.

"Of course," he echoed.

Back and forth they went as Hermione slowly worked her way through the shop. Hermione focused most of her questions on the different ways magic was used in the Enchanted Forest and trying to understand the minute differences between the worlds so as to try and have a better grasp of Regina's brand of magic. She knew Gold wouldn't directly tell her anything about the curse but even a good grasp of the basics of their magic would help her slowly unravel the details of the curse.

Gold seemed to take a keen interest in Arithmancy and prodded her to explain the science behind it. Hermione could tell he was frustrated by her inability to explain the exact details about some of the processes, but those depended on what the practitioner was looking for so until Gold was willing to share what he wanted to use it for, her hands were tied.

It was just about time for her to meet Emma for lunch, when the ring on her finger began to burn. The design of it was simple, just a silver band with a sapphire in it, her birthstone. Emma had a matching band with an opal that Hermione had tied to hers so that they would be able to sense each other if the other was in trouble, and even be able to feel what the other was if they concentrated. This was the first time she had gotten such a negative wave of emotions from the other girl though and Hermione was panicked for a moment until she realized that Emma was more enraged than hurt. Hermione had the sneaking suspicion that it was Regina causing it so she set off another charge into the town wards. Hopefully that would send the Mayor scurrying away.

Refocusing her attention on Gold, she asked her final question. "Do you know of any apartments available for rent?"

"Have you and your sister grown tired of Granny's unique hospitality?" he asked with a smirk.

Hermione gave him a droll look worthy of Professor Snape. "Obviously."

"Well then, let me see what I can do."

 _I'm rising up_

 _I've had enough_

 _I'm feeling invincible tonight_

 _I'm alive, take a look into my eyes_

"Your sister's in the laundry room," Ruby told her the moment she walked into the diner. "And you should probably know that the Mayor stopped by to talk to her. Whatever she said seemed to really upset Emma."

"Of course." Hermione sighed in annoyance. "How someone so vulgar became mayor I will never understand."

Ruby shrugged. "Well, it helps that everyone's too afraid of her, so she always runs unopposed."

"Yes," Hermione muttered. "Very convenient."

The old Hermione may have been more sympathetic towards Regina after hearing part of her story from Gold. Losing the man she loved in such a way would have broken anyone, especially if they had been forced to marry again so soon after. However, a tragic backstory only went so far and the person she was now couldn't summon even an ounce of pity for the monster Regina had become. The only thing Hermione cared about now was her family and she would show no mercy to any threats against them.

Making her way to the laundry room, Hermione knocked once before entering. Emma was standing over the washing machine glaring at the timer as if that would make it move quicker. "I heard you had a bit of trouble this morning," she greeted.

Emma glanced over at her. "Heard or sensed?" she asked, looking pointedly at her ring. "I'd almost forgot about our connection since you tweaked the spell so we would only be able to sense each other when we focused on the link or when the other really needed help. Good to know it still works I guess. Also, it seems Regina has started looking into our past so that's fun." Reaching into her pocket to pull out a folded-up letter, Emma passed it to her younger sister. "This came for you, by the way. Thought you were keeping your location a secret and the only ones who knew were aware that they shouldn't use owl-post?"

Hermione frowned. "I am and they are." She unfolded it and glowered at the messy scrawl on the front. "I'll talk to Kingsley and remind him later." Glancing up at Emma, she asked, "Did anyone see?"

"No," Emma shook her head. "I think it waited till I was alone to drop that off. So, I guess that means that your wards are still holding since it didn't go directly to you but to the address on the envelope."

"Small relief there," Hermione muttered. She shoved the letter in her bag. "What exactly did Regina say?"

"Just that she knows I move around a lot and she isn't worried about me sticking around for long," she muttered. "She also knows that you disappeared for several years and Regina apparently thinks that you must be involved in something illegal."

"She's not technically wrong," Hermione commented with a smirk. "Though if she knew just what exactly I was getting up to, I doubt she'd be so brave."

That finally pulled her sister from her morose thoughts and Emma gave her a small smirk. "You going to stick her in a jar too? Or just continue attacking her wards?"

"No, I learned my lesson from that with Skeeter," she scowled. "If you get to the point where you're trapping your enemies then you best make sure that they're properly leashed before you let them out again. And she's been running around power-mad for nearly 30 years, a few jolts won't kill her. Might deflate her ego a bit but she could do with a bit of grounding."

"Oh, I don't know," Emma teased. "I for one enjoyed reading about all your exploits- really helped me feel like I was staying in touch with what was going on in your life."

"My apologies, I would have kept you more in the loop if I wasn't so busying making love potions for so many men at one time; it was getting really difficult there to keep on top of things."

Emma snorted. "I would've thought you'd let a few of them be on top."

Hermione flushed. "Weren't you the one who said to never let the guy be on top because they might get the idea that they hold any power in the relationship?"

"I did," Emma winced. "Forgot what a bitch I used to be."

Hopping up onto the table next to the washing machine, Hermione shrugged. "To be fair, you did have a very good reason to be. Besides, none of those guys were good enough for you anyway."

"Also forgot how disapproving you could be." Emma joined her younger sister on the table. "Mum and Dad used to joke that they didn't have to be threatening towards anyone I brought home because you would do it for them. You were a straight up terrifying child."

"Yeah, well, they all deserved it. I only regret that I didn't get to Neal before he ran," Hermione said, tone dark.

"You and me both." They sat in silence for a moment before Emma asked, "How did it go with Mr. Gold?"

"Well enough. I helped him catalogue his shop while we spoke. He said he would get back to me tomorrow about any places for rent here in town."

"Ah, organizing. You're favorite thing to do when you have free time. How did he know?"

"America has made you far more playful and I'm not sure I approve of it," Hermione frowned in mock disappointment. "Whatever happened to that stoic British person you used to be?"

"I realized how uptight most British people are and I gained a newfound hobby of making them as uncomfortable as possible." Emma grinned at her sister. "It's really easy too. All I have to do is make a joke or sarcastic comment and they start to fall over themselves in confusion."

"This is why you didn't have any friends in school," Hermione told her primly, lips twitching.

Emma snorted. "Like you're one to talk. I don't remember you being Miss Popularity in primary school."

"That's because the other children were intimated by my intelligence but were too stupid to realize that's why they didn't like me."

Her sister laughed outright. "That's not why they didn't like you- it's because you were such a goody-goody."

Hermione laughed as well. "Ah, the good old days."

"Now look at you, hiding giants and stealing dragons. How did it come to this?"

"I was sent far away from you and ended up trying to live my life by asking myself what you would do if you were there, which led to me making some stunningly poor decisions," she answered dryly.

"Hey now," Emma argued. "I was a wonderful, well-behaved child."

Hermione snorted. "No, you were not. You were just better at getting away with it."

"Not as good as you, obviously. How you managed to not get expelled from Hogwarts is a testament to how good a misdirection you are and how terrible a headmaster Dumbledore was."

"No arguments there." Hermione scooted closer to her sister and rested her head on her shoulder. "So, besides Regina, anything else happen today?"

"Nope," Emma answered, resting her cheek on top of Hermione's head. "Nothing to report so far."

 _This time I'ma take you for a ride_

 _I'm invincible tonight_

 _I'm alive, take a look into my eyes_

 _This time I'ma take you for a ride_

 _I'm invincible tonight_

"Hey," Henry greeted, sitting down next to Hermione in his castle.

"Hello," Hermione smiled at him. "How was school?"

"Boring," he answered with a sigh, before shyly leaning over to hug her. He relaxed when she immediately returned the embrace, dropping a kiss on top of his head. "What have you been up to today?"

"Doing some investigating for Operation Cobra. I have nothing to report yet, but I do need to ask a favor from you."

Henry immediately perked up. "Of course!"

"I need you to keep an eye out for any strangers in town." He stared at her in confusion and more than a hint of disappointment. "This is very important, Henry," she warned. "It seems several people from my world know that I am here and may be paying me a visit. You know almost everyone in this town, even if it's just by sight. If you see anyone you don't know, you need to find either myself or Emma. Do not speak to them if you can help it and absolutely do not mention anything about the curse."

He frowned at her. "If they're also magical, couldn't they help us break the curse?"

"No. Things could become unstable should anyone else find out that the entire town is cursed and from a different world. Promise to let me know if you see anything or anyone out of the ordinary."

"Promise," Henry said, nodding firmly. He may not have totally understood why this was so important to Hermione, but she trusted him and he wouldn't do anything to break that.

Hermione relaxed and smiled at him. "Thank you, Henry."

He blushed and shrugged. "It's no big deal." Then, he changed the subject. "Where's Emma? Is she meeting you here?"

"My sister is currently in timeout at our hotel room."

He stared at her. "Timeout?"

"Yes. She lied to me earlier so now she has to stay in our room and think about what she's done."

"But she's a grownup," Henry protested. "Grownups don't get put in timeout."

"Well, they do now. Honestly, if more adults were put into timeout, they would be more responsible. They are certainly more than a few people who I know could benefit from being forced to actually sit in silence and contemplate their life," Hermione muttered.

"What exactly did she do to get put in timeout?"

"I told you, she lied. I asked her if anything interesting happened to her earlier and she said no. Then, I find out from Graham that he offered her a job as his deputy."

Henry waited for a moment to see if she was going to say anything else before demanding, "That's it?! She didn't tell you about a job offer and you locked her up in your room?"

"It's the principle of thing," Hermione justified. "She was offered the opportunity to become a part of the community here and she didn't tell me. If she didn't want to talk about it, then she could have just said so, but she just lied instead. We can have secrets that we don't tell each other but we don't lie to one another; we made that rule when we were younger."

"Maybe she didn't think it was important," Henry defended. "It was just a job offer." The hopeful look in his eyes though showed that he also understood how important the offer really was. It was a chance for Emma and Hermione to stay in Storybrooke, a reason other than Henry. "How long are is she going to be stuck in there?" he finally asked.

Hermione checked her watch. "The spell should be wearing off now. Shall we go find her?"

He jumped up. "Yep! Let's go!"

 _I'll break you a hundred different ways_

 _Then I'll make you remember my face_

 _Thought that I would let you leave_

 _It's hard to stop_

 _What you can't see_

Fortunately for Hermione, Emma seemed to find Hermione locking her in her room more humorous than anything else. It wasn't until after they had walked Henry back to the Mayor's home and started back to the center of town that she brought up what had happened. "It was an accident, wasn't it?"

Hermione's shoulders hunched. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't be like that," Emma said, nudging her shoulder against her sisters. "I'm not criticizing you or anything, just verifying that I'm right."

Slowly untensing, Hermione finally nodded her head. "I didn't mean to lock you in," she almost whispered. "I wasn't even that angry or annoyed."

"That's what I thought," her older sister said, linking her arm with Hermione's. "Your magic always has a different feel when it's accidental."

Hermione blinked at her. "What?"

"Your magic. It feels different when you use it on purpose than it does when something happens by accident; the energy is different or something."

"You can feel my magic?" Hermione verified, wondering why Emma hadn't mentioned that to her sooner.

"Of course. I've certainly been around it for long enough," Emma told her with a smirk. "Your magic would flair up whenever you didn't get your way as a kid. It was lucky for us that you were a pretty easy-going child, otherwise I'm sure you would have beaten us to death with books on accident."

"If you all had just left me alone with my books instead of insisting on that 'socializing' nonsense then it wouldn't have been such an issue," she automatically responded, thoughts racing. Rumpelstiltskin's claim that her sister had magic seemed to be one of truth. Only someone with a large amount of magic would be able to feel when magic was being used at the small amounts Hermione had released as a child, let alone tell the difference between deliberate and accidental use.

"Hey, now," Emma protested. "I was right there with you; Mum and Dad used to have to force me out of the house alongside you."

Hermione couldn't help giggling at the memory of Emma as a sulking teen, being made to attend extracurricular activities by their parents in the hopes that she would make more friends. She sobered up quickly though and said, "I am sorry for locking you in the room; my magic is acting differently here."

"Because of the wards?"

"I don't know," she answered, beyond frustrated. "Maybe. They certainly aren't helping anything. I can feel what Regina was feeling when she cast them reverberating through me constantly- it wouldn't surprise me if she really did kill her own father in order to cast this curse. The magic in this town is so oppressing I feel like I'm going to collapse at any moment."

"Do you need to leave?" Emma instantly asked, willing to do whatever it took to keep her sister safe. She, of course, would have to stay in Storybrooke for Henry but Hermione didn't have to be here if it was just going to hurt her.

"No, but I will need to do something about the town wards," Hermione warned. "It shouldn't affect the townspeople, but it will cause Regina some pain. Well, some more pain."

Emma snorted. "And that makes you feel so worried, doesn't it?"

"You know me," Hermione smirked, looking exactly like Emma had moments ago despite not being blood-related. "I'm a firm believer in that you get what you give."

 _I'm rising up_

 _I've had enough_

 _I'm feeling invincible tonight_

 _I'm alive take a look into my eyes_

"Henry meeting us here or in the diner?" Emma asked the next morning as they were getting dressed.

"Here," Hermione answered, voice muffled as she went shoulder deep into her bag, searching for her elusive favorite sweater. "Apparently the Queen has a city council meeting today."

"On a Saturday?" Emma was obviously suspicious. "Why wouldn't she meet during the week? And don't those meetings usually happen in the evenings? That's how it's been in every other city I've ever lived in. And why would it last all day? This is Storybrooke- nothing ever seems to happen here."

"Maybe it's an emergency meeting to talk about the strangers who've arrived in town and begun wreaking havoc on the unsuspecting inhabitants."

"Ha ha, very funny." A knock at the door interrupted them. "Damn," Emma swore as Hermione finally managed to fish out the sweater her sister had given her two years previously. "Kid moves fast."

She swung the door open, mouth open to greet Henry before her eyes widened in shock. "Good morning, Miss Swan," he greeted. "My name is Mr. Gold, we met briefly on your arrival."

Emma crossed her arms. "I remember. You looking for Hermione?"

Walking over to the door, Hermione bumped her sister out of the way and gestured for the older gentleman to enter their room. "Good morning! What brings you by so early?"

He smiled slightly before walking in and sitting down in one of the chairs by the window. "I have a proposition for Miss Swan, though I have no doubt you would also be very helpful with this as well."

"Really?" Emma asked, slightly surprised. "What's up?"

Mr. Gold pulled a photo out of his coat pocket. "Her name is Ashley Boyd. She's taken something quite valuable from me and I was hoping you could find her for me."

"Why don't you just go to the police?" Emma asked, taking the photo.

"Because she's just a confused young woman. She's pregnant, alone, and scared. I don't want to ruin this young girl's life, I just want my property returned." Hermione knew that Gold was trying to remind Emma of when she was pregnant in order to get her to help him and she glared at him, silently warning him to stop using such underhanded tactics with her sister.

"What'd she take?" Hermione asked, suspicious. She and Gold may have had an understanding, but she had no doubts about what kind of man he truly was.

"Well, one of the advantages of you not being the police is discretion," he said calmly. "Let's just say it's a precious object and leave it at that."

"When'd you see her last?" Her sister asked, tone professional.

"Last night," he answered, pulling back his hair to show a cut on the side of his head. "That's how I got this.

"It's so unlike her," he continued. "She was quite wound up, rambling on and on about changing her life." Hermione saw her sister look guilty for a split second before her expression turned blank once more. "I have no idea what got into her. Miss Swan, please help me find her. My only other choice is the police and I don't think anyone wants to see that baby born in jail, now do they?"

"No, of course not," Hermione interjected, her thoughts racing as she mentally flipped through the stories from the book. Was this girl in one of them? A pregnant young woman stealing something back from Rumpelstiltskin in order to take back control of her life… Most likely a contract then. Just because he couldn't make any in this world didn't mean he wasn't hanging onto the ones he'd made before he came.

Cinderella.

It had to be. Cinderella was still trying to go back on their deal without facing any consequences. Hermione mentally rolled her eyes.

"So, you'll help me then?" Gold asked.

"I'll help her," Emma clarified, tucking the picture of Ashley into her pocket.

"Grand." Gold stood up then, clearly not planning on sticking around.

"Hey, guys," came Henry's voice from outside the door. "I was thinking we could-" he stopped speaking once he'd spotted their guest.

"Hey, Henry," Gold greeted. "How are you?"

"Okay?" Hermione couldn't help smiling at the confusion clear on the boy's face.

"Good. Give my regards to your mother." He walked back to the door, stopping in the hall to turn back say, "And, good luck." With one final nod to the sisters, he left.

"Do you know who that is?" Henry immediately asked once the door closed.

"Yeah," Emma answered. "Of course."

Henry perked up. "Who? Because I'm still trying to figure it out."

"Oh, I meant in reality." Emma turned to her younger sister. "You got any ideas?"

Hermione just shrugged "I have many, but not ones I'm willing to share yet."

Henry frowned at her but seemed to decide to wait to ask her more. "We're still hanging out today?"

"Actually Henry, something just came up," Emma told him, apologetically. "It'll just be you and Hermione today."

"Really? What? Did you take that job at with the Sheriff's office? Do you have to work today?" Henry was almost bouncing in excitement.

Emma explained what was going on as they headed out of the inn and towards where Emma had parked the day before. "Please let me help," Henry instantly begged once she was done.

"No!" Emma exclaimed. "It could be dangerous."

"The pregnant maid is dangerous?" Hermione grinned at his tone, just like his mother's whenever someone made a stupid argument with her.

"She assaulted Mr. Gold."

"Cool!" Henry cheered.

Emma gave her sister a pleading look but Hermione just ignored her, enjoying watching her big sister lose in a debate with a ten-year-old. "This isn't a game," Emma valiantly tried to convince him. "She's desperate."

"You're going to lose," Hermione muttered to her.

"You stay out of this, traitor."

"I'll just look for her myself," Henry threatened.

"Then I'll find you and I'll bring you back."

"Then you wouldn't be helping the maid."

"I'm just trying to be responsible here!" Emma said, almost throwing her hands up in frustration.

Henry pulled his trump card. "And I'm just trying to spend time with you," he told her as he climbed into the bug.

"Oh, that is really not fair," she complained. Turning to Hermione, she asked, "You coming?"

Hermione shook her head. "Figured I'd find a quiet place and take a closer look at the book," she told her, keeping her voice soft so as not to disturb Henry.

Emma frowned. "Be careful."

Instead of answering, Hermione just smiled and wandered off, deciding to head into the woods Charming had gotten lost in to ensure that she was neither disturbed while she worked nor would anyone be hurt by any unexpected magic that may occur.

She had determined that whatever was in the book wasn't a horcrux but that didn't change the fact that there was something, or someone, hiding in there and she wanted to know what. And if she couldn't figure out what it was, then she was just going to set the book on fire with Fiendfyre and be done with it. It may not have been a horcrux but there was still something wrong with the book, she could feel it, and she wasn't going to just sit around and wait for it to truly become a threat.

Hiking through the forest, Hermione finally stopped in a small hollow surrounded by ancient, moss covered trees. After casting a quick spell to make sure that there was no one nearby, she sat down on a tree root and pulled the original _Once Upon a Time_ book out of her bag. Luckily for her, whatever magic there was hadn't been affecting Henry since he hadn't noticed the switch. She set it on her lap and rested her hands on top of the cover, closing her eyes and focusing on tuning into the magic surrounding the book. Once she had, she started to carefully press her own powers into it.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Hermione was on her feet and ducking behind a tree, making sure her back was covered as she stared at the white-haired man. "Who are you?" she demanded.

He just stared at her, seeming puzzled. "I could ask the same of you. Where did you get that book?"

She didn't look away from him. "That's none of your business and who I am is of no concern to you."

"If you won't tell me your name then why should I tell you mine?"

Despite her best efforts, Hermione couldn't help feeling curious. No one else in this town could use magic, not even Rumpelstiltskin, and she could sense the power surrounding this man. He also seemed very unsettled by her presence and she wanted to know why that was. "My name is Hermione."

He hummed contemplatively. "Hermione. I don't believe I've heard that name before."

"It is an unusual name," was all she replied. It would seem that he had no idea who she was, despite the fact that she and her sister were the talk of the town. "So, now that I've told mine, care to show me yours?"

"I am known as the Apprentice."

"And who exactly is your master?" It was strange that someone so old would still be considered an apprentice. The Apprentice though. An important apprentice, a famous one, but she hadn't read about him in the book.

Considering her for a moment, he finally said, "It's not time for you to know. You were not expected."

"Expected by who?" Hermione glanced down at the book before looking back at him. "By whoever is hiding in this book?"

His eyes widened. "What do you know of that?"

"I know there's someone, or something, inside this book and whatever it is doesn't feel quite right. I know that it may not be dangerous right now, but that the potential is there. What I don't know is if it would be better to take care of it here and now or if there's a reason I should be hesitant."

The Apprentice leaned forward slightly. "You cannot destroy the book."

"On the contrary, I most certainly can. If you want me not to, then you'll have to convince me not to." Hermione released her hold on her magic and allowed it to charge the air around them, watched as the man's eyes went wide. "And I'd speak quickly, if I were you."

As if in response to her own demonstration, the Apprentice's magic also filled the space between them, though it was not as strong as her own. "Why have you come here?" he demanded.

"You ask a lot of questions yet refuse to offer any answers and I'm starting to get a little tired of this game." Her magic seemed to automatically respond to her emotions and more was let out into the world and surrounded the man, binding his arms and legs into something almost like a Jelly-Legs Jinx but not quite. "This book was given to my nephew, has been in his possession for months. My sister and I came into town only to find out that there's a curse and she's a _savior_ ," she spat the world like she would a curse. "I've already got Rumpelstiltskin speaking to me in riddles, I don't need it from you as well. So either speak or stand down- I don't care which it is you choose, at this point."

His eyes widened. "Your Emma's sister?"

"I am. But that's enough about me, let's talk about you."

There was a long stretch of silence as they stared at each other before he finally spoke. "Merlin. I am the Sorcerer Merlin's Apprentice."

Hermione blinked at him. _God-fucking-damnit._

 _This time I'ma take you for a ride_

 _I'm invincible tonight_

 _I'm alive, take a look into my eyes_

 _This time I'ma take you for a ride_

 _I'm invincible tonight_

On her way out of the forest, Hermione's phone started to ring. "Hello?"

"I need you to talk to Gold," Emma said.

"About what?"

"Apparently Ashley was forced to agree to give the baby to Gold." Hermione smiled faintly at the outrage in her sister's voice. "I'm going to find Ashley, I need you to stop Gold."

"No."

Emma was silent for a moment. "No?! What do you mean no?!"

"I mean, I'm not going to help you. While the situation is slightly more complex due to the magic involved, what Ashley agreed to was basically a surrogacy situation. Due to Regina's interference, her memories are probably all jumbled, but Ashley agreed to give Gold the baby before she was even pregnant. I suggest you read up on the Cinderella story in Henry's storybook before you make any rash decisions."

"You can break a surrogacy agreement," her sister growled. "It happens."

"Yes, it does," Hermione agreed. "But it usually involves the other person having to return the investment the prospective parents put into her having the child, at the very least. Very grey area, surrogacy contracts, made all the worse by the magic added to it."

"You can't honestly be siding with Gold right now!"

Hermione sighed. "No, because that would involve me siding against you. I am, however, staying out of this. You sympathize with Ashley and I understand that, but I also understand why Mr. Gold is acting the way he is. Ashley signed a contract, made a deal before she was even pregnant, and she cannot now decide to change the terms without there being consequences. I, more than anyone, know that all magic comes with a price. Gold gave her magic in return for her child and now that magic is demanded it be recompensed."

"This is barbaric!" Emma complained.

"Well, they are from a different world," Hermione muttered, climbing over a fallen tree.

"What?"

"Nothing," she groaned. "I'm sorry, Emma, but I can't help you. I mean for god's sake, the girl didn't even read the contract before she signed it. She wanted something and she didn't care what she had to sacrifice to get it and then, the moment the Gold fulfilled his end of the bargain, she wants to back out? Doesn't exactly speak well of her."

"You wouldn't be acting like this if you had a kid," Emma snapped.

"True," the brunette allowed, her tone going blank. "But as someone who will most likely have to use a surrogate in the future if I hope to have children and decide not to adopt, I can't find myself having much sympathy from a woman who sold away her firstborn before it had even been conceived so that she could have a better life for herself without actually having to work for it and then changes her mind after she's settled into said new life. And your situation is very different from Ashley's; you found out you were pregnant and made the decision you thought was best for the child. Ashley made selfish deal, foolishly signing something away without finding out what it was first, and then, like a child, decided she didn't want to pay once she had what she wanted."

Emma was silent for a long moment. "Bellatrix?" she finally whispered.

"Turns out being tortured for an undetermined amount of time wreaks havoc on your internal system. In addition to that nasty bit of spell work from Dolohov, of course."

Her sister groaned. "Fine, alright, you win. You stay out of this; I'll deal with Gold myself."

"I look forward to seeing how you manage that."

 _I will waste you_

 _And you can't escape it now_

 _When I will break you down_

Hermione slid into the seat across from Gold in the diner. "You made a deal with my sister?"

Gold looked up at her with his trademark smirk. "Well, I figured since our deal was working out so well, I should try making one with your sister and see what happens."

"I can guess what's going to happen," Hermione snorted. "And it doesn't end well for you."

"We'll just see about that, dearie."

"It'd be much easier for you if you just took my word for it but it's your funeral."

He just continued to smile. "Since you asked your question, I believe it's my turn."

She groaned. "Fine. Take your best shot."

"Just who are you, Hermione Granger, in your world?"

Staring at him in silence for a moment, Hermione finally spoke. "I'm the girl who helped stop a dark lord. Who defied all the expectations and odds set against me and rose to the top. The one who then threw it all away because I refused to be placated by the shiny baubles thrown at me in leu of real change. I'm the brain of the Golden Trio, heroes of the Wizarding War. But that's not the question you should have been asking, Mr. Gold; instead of wondering who I am to others, you should be wondering just who I'm going to be to you."

 _I'm feeling invincible tonight_

 _Take your time_

 _Take a look into my eyes_

 _This time I'ma take you for a ride_

 _I'm invincible tonight_

* * *

 **Please leave a review on your way out!**


	7. Chapter 7

**(A/N): Welcome back, ya'll! Oh man, I'm so excited for you all to be reading this chapter! I feel like it really starts to fully tie the world of Harry Potter into the world of Once Upon a Time and I can't wait to hear your thoughts! Just a heads up, there will be an OC in this chapter but I made him related to an actual character I found on Pottermore. I won't say too much here, because I don't want to spoil anything, but I promise that I will not be filling this story with OC characters that I pulled out of nowhere. Can't promise that there won't be any more than the one, but I will say that the majority of them are ones I found on Pottermore.**

 **Shoutouts to Fear The Darkness Inside, FrumiousBandersnatch10, ndavis77, BlueBell phoenix, Martha, Elle Ryder, Elizabeth, Najada, Persephone Targaryen, Suzululu4moe, EraticMind, , NicoleR85, Another Random Human, RHatch89, and Guests for commenting! I love hearing your thoughts and I'm looking forward to your responses in the coming chapters when all your questions are answered! Also, the song suggestions are much appreciated!**

 **Special shout out to fringeperson for all her help with this story and her overwhelming enthusiasm! Her love for this story has inspired me all the more!**

 **This chapter is set during episode 5 and we will see a huge difference with this episode, mainly because a key thing is changed here. Any familiar dialogue belongs to OUAT creators, as per usual. Also, the timeline for things in the actual episode will not match up with how I do things here. In order to make this flow the way I wanted, things changed. I appreciate you guys being able to just roll with it!**

 **Song lyrics this time around come from "My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark" by Fallout Boy.**

 **Thanks to singingmyheartsong for beta reading this chapter!** **! You are glorious!**

 **Hope you have a wonderful Friday! Enjoy!**

* * *

 _Be careful making wishes_

 _In the dark, dark_

 _Can't be sure when they've_

 _Hit their mark, mark_

"Archie still doesn't believe me," Henry muttered when he came out of his therapy session and spotted Hermione sitting outside the office.

"Just because you think it would have been fun to be a cricket in another life doesn't mean he feels the same," she told him as she stood and walked over to him, throwing her arm around his shoulder and guiding him outside.

"I even told him about how there are no crickets here in Storybrooke and I know that's not enough to prove anything but it should still count for something."

Hermione paused, forcing Henry to stop as well as she listened carefully to the street around them. "You know, you're right. I never noticed that before. How strange. Why would the Evil Queen not want there to be any crickets in her town?"

Henry's brow furrowed in thought for a moment. "Maybe because she's worried that it would remind Archie of who he really is!" He began bouncing in excitement. "Maybe if we get him to listen to some crickets chirping, he'll remember something."

"He has to have heard them before though, on the television or something," Hermione pointed out.

Instead of looking disappointed that Hermione was poking holes in his idea, Henry seemed thrilled by the fact that she was taking him seriously. "What if he has to hear a live one for it to work?"

"And where on earth would we find live crickets? Because I, for one, am not going to leave town and then scrounge about in the woods for them; I've had enough of the woods, thank you very much."

"I thought this was a team effort," Henry sighed.

"Oh, it is. And to prove to you that I have been working on Operation Cobra on my own, I have some news for you." Henry stared up at her in anticipation and Hermione leaned over to whisper in his ear. "I've found Rumpelstiltskin."

Henry reared back in surprise. "You have?! When? How did you find him? Who is he?"

Hermione laughed at his rapid-fired questions. She wondered if this is how she had sounded to everyone else when she was his age. "I've been going around town trying to match people to characters from the book. Once I found someone who matched Rumpelstiltskin's description, I confronted him."

He gasped. "Did he hurt you? Are you okay? Does he remember?"

"I'm fine, as is he. And yes, Henry, he remembers everything."

Henry threw his arms around Hermione in excitement. "We did it! We've found proof!"

Hermione hugged him back tightly but after a moment, she felt her shirt start to grow slightly damp and she pulled back, alarmed to see her nephew crying. "Henry," she kneeled down so she was eye level with him, "what's wrong?"

He gave a small sniff, rubbing his eyes with his sleeves. "It's just… the curse is real. I know you said you believed me, but I was worried that you were going to change your mind and start thinking I was crazy, like everyone else. But you believe me and you're helping me and you found Rumpelstiltskin."

Feeling her heart break at the pain in his voice, Hermione led Henry over to a bench and sat down next to him, pulling him into her arms. "Now you listen to me, Henry Mills," she began, "I don't care what anyone tells you- you are not crazy. You are not imaging things. I know how scary this is. When I was younger and first started realizing that the strange things happening around me were because of me, I thought I was losing my mind. It all seemed so impossible. Then, when I was introduced to the world of magic, I was so relieved. Finally, there was an explanation for why I was able to do what I was doing. I wasn't crazy or possessed or any such nonsense and Henry, neither are you."

Nodding into her shoulder, Henry whispered, "I was so scared before I found you guys. What if you didn't believe me? What if you thought I was crazy? But now I'm so glad you're here. You saved me, you and Emma, and I know you guys save everyone else. I believe in you and Emma, even if neither of you believe in yourselves."

"I believe in you too, Henry," Hermione whispered, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. "Never doubt that. Come what may, I will always do my best to be there when you need me. You'll never have to feel like you're alone again. I promise."

 _And besides in the meantime_

 _I'm just dreaming of_

 _Tearing you apart_

 _I'm in the details with the devil_

"I cannot believe that woman!" Hermione ranted to her sister after she had walked Henry home. "What she's doing is utterly despicable!"

"What's really going on?" Emma finally asked her, having sat there in silence listening to Hermione for almost 15 minutes as she recounted her conversation with Henry.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean," Emma started, standing up and walking over to stand in front of the brunette, "why haven't you gone all soft-hearted after hearing Regina's story? You are the champion for the underdogs, the girl who sympathizes with those society ostracizes. Hell, you are basically the reason Draco Malfoy wasn't thrown in Azkaban after the war and that kid not only terrorized you during school, but he stood there and watched as you were tortured in his own home!"

"That wasn't Malfoy's fault," Hermione automatically defended. "He was just doing as he was taught by his parents and he was as much a victim in that war as any of us were; he had to share the same house as Voldemort and constantly live with the knowledge that, should he mess up, his mother would be the one who would pay the price for it. He did the best he could in a terrible situation."

"That!" Emma exclaimed, pointing at her sister. "That right there is what I'm talking about! Draco did awful things and you still supported him because you know his past. I'm not a fan of Regina or anything, but even I feel bad for her after hearing all that and I'm way more of a cynic than you are. So, what's the deal?"

Hermione turned away to stare out the window at the town square. "It's different."

"Really? Because I'm seeing some pretty hardcore similarities between the two of them. Regina's situation was worse, which is why she has way more to hold against her, but their stories are otherwise the same. Why is Regina so different? What about her is making this so personal for you?"

Finally, Hermione admitted the fact that had been hanging over her head since they'd arrived there. "That could have been me."

"Who?" Emma asked softly. "Who could've been you? Regina?"

"No," Hermione snorted, "Henry. If things had gone differently, I could have been in the same place Henry is now." Emma was quiet for a moment, waiting for the other girl to continue. "It's like I told Henry: I know how scary it is, to see things one way and for everyone else to be unable to recognize what you do. Everyone thought I was a freak when I was younger," her tone turned slightly bitter. "Strange things always happened around me and I was too intelligent and awkward so they all avoided me. But I could handle all of that because I had you and our parents. No matter what happened, I knew I wasn't alone because I would always have you. But, before us, who did Henry have?"

"No one," her sister answered, finally understanding. "Henry was alone."

Turning back to her, Hermione asked, "Do you remember that day I came home from school crying? Do you remember what you said to me?"

Emma swallowed. "I told you that it didn't matter what any of those other kids thought. That you were different and being different was good. And even if no one else could understand that, you would always have me. I promised to never turn my back on you, no matter how many freaky things happened around you."

"You had no idea what was going on," Hermione whispered, fighting back tears as she remembered a teenage Emma desperately trying to comfort her. "You had no idea, yet you did your best to help me and not once did you ever make me feel like there was something wrong with me. Regina knows that Henry isn't crazy, that there's nothing wrong with him, and she'd still rather hurt him than admit what she's done. She's supposed to be his _mother_ , she's supposed to protect him and love him like our mother did for us, but instead she's just slowly breaking him. If we hadn't come when we did, if he hadn't found us, how do you think things would have turned out for him? If Henry was left alone, surrounded by people who told him he was imaging things or that he was crazy, how long do you think it would have taken for them to completely break him?"

Tears were stinging at the corner of her eyes as Emma saw the portrait Hermione was painting for her. "That's why you're being so hard on Regina, why you refuse to acknowledge her as Henry's mother."

"She hurt him. She keeps hurting him and she's doing it deliberately. If you really love someone, then you place them above yourself. You don't hurt them in order to save yourself."

Despite everything she had been through, fighting a war and standing tall in a bigoted society to name just a few of the horrors her baby sister had faced at too young an age, it was never more obvious to Emma just how young Hermione still was. She had been sheltered at Hogwarts, spending most of her time with just Harry and Ron. Ron, who had come from a large, loving family and Harry, who had been abused by relatives that openly declared that they didn't care for him at all. It was all so black and white for her. The Weasley's loved Ron and therefore never hurt him on purpose. The Dursley's hated Harry and hurt him because of that. Her scope was so limited, but Emma's wasn't and as much as it angered her, Emma could understand where Regina was coming from, could understand the fear that someone you loved would turn on you when they heard that you'd made a terrible mistake. Hermione wasn't ready to hear that though.

"He's not alone," Emma finally said. "He's got us. We'll make sure that Henry is never alone again, and we'll prove to everyone that he's not crazy. Whatever it takes."

 _So now the world can never get me_

 _On my level_

 _I just got to get you off of the cage_

 _I'm a young lovers rage_

 _You still picking Henry up from school?_

Hermione hated when Emma texted her and stuck to a one-word response: _Yes_

"What are you doing here?" came Henry's voice from behind her. She turned around on the bench to smile at him. "Where's Emma?" he asked, throwing himself down beside her.

"Being deputized by the Sheriff. I thought I'd come pick you up and then we could go pick up some snacks from Granny's and surprise them."

Henry beamed. "Hot chocolate with cinnamon?"

She smirked. "Do you think I would suggest anything else?"

"If you had lost your mind, sure."

They had just started heading for the diner when the ground started to shake beneath them. "What's going on?" Henry cried, clinging onto Hermione.

It stopped a moment later, but Hermione kept a tight hold on Henry, just to be safe. Once she was sure it was safe, she let go and answered, "I would have thought it to be an earthquake except those don't happen in Maine."

"Do you think it's something magical?"

Hermione got another text then and she hurried to open it. "Emma says that some tunnels collapsed on the edge of town." She glanced over at her nephew, who looked as if he was readying himself for some reason. "Shall we go take a look for ourselves?"

He stared at her with widened eyes. "You're not going to try and make me stay behind while you go look?"

"Now, why would I do that? You'd just find a way there on your own if I did. This way, I can at least keep an eye on you." After all, that was what she would have done, had actually done, when she was around his age.

"Wow, you really are smart." Henry looked so impressed by something so small and Hermione found herself wishing that he would always see her in such a good light.

"The brightest of my age, or so I've been told."

The words that had been repeated so many times in the past few years, said in tones anywhere from awe to mocking, meant little to the ten-year-old. "It must be the mining tunnels, they're on the other side of town. It'll take us at least half an hour to walk there."

Hermione smirked. "Are they near where the town sign is?"

"Yeah." Henry tilted his head slightly at her. "Why?"

"How would you like to see a bit more magic?"

Henry's face lit up. "Yes!" he cheered.

Pulling him into the shadows behind a shop, Hermione wrapped her arms around him. "Hold on tight then. And try not to throw up when we get there."

 _Gonna need a spark to ignite_

 _My songs know what you did_

 _In the dark_

 _So light'em up, up, up_

Still on a bit of a magic high, Henry was bouncing on the walk to the tunnels. "That was so awesome! We have to do that more often!"

Hermione laughed at his enthusiasm. "I must say, Henry, I was very impressed by how well you did. Most people throw up the first time they apparate."

Henry straightened up with a pleased look. "I mean, I felt a little sick but that wasn't enough to stop me." They stepped out of the trees and studied the chaos around them. A crowd of people were standing around a large hole in the ground, chattering at each other in hushed voices in order to try and not catch the eye of the woman standing at the front of them, glaring down in rage. "Oh no," Henry groaned.

"This is a big deal, it only makes sense that the Mayor would be here."

He looked up at her with hopeful eyes. "Can you sense any magic here? Does this have something to do with the curse?"

Closing her eyes, Hermione pushed her magic into the earth. She knew that her magic was different than others in her world, that they would deem her as being dark or unnatural if they found out just how powerful she was. Even Dumbledore, who was thought to be the second-coming of Merlin to some, was nowhere near as strong as she was.

The rest of the British Wizarding World centered themselves in core magic but Hermione had known from the moment magic became a tangible idea to her that she was centered in the elements. Fire raged from her when she was angry, water soothed her when her mind was chaotic, nature strengthened her, and the wind released any thoughts or feelings that weren't beneficial to her. British wizards were fools, believing the old magics to be too dangerous to learn and so had kept them from Hogwarts. The only reason Hermione had been so powerful with a wand was because the elements around her had added their strength to hers.

It wasn't until recently that she could call her powers so easily though. Apparently, there was a perk to being almost tortured into insanity by Bellatrix Lestrange- the bars keeping her magic as an almost separate entity had been shattered and now power was constantly flowing through her. Directing it was what was proving to be the real challenge now.

"There's something there," she finally told him. "I think it was brought over in the curse because of the energy surrounding it but by the look on Regina's face, she didn't expect it here." There was also something coming from the town square that concerned her but she pushed it from her mind for now.

"We've got to find it," Henry declared, face set in a determined mien.

"You look just like Emma," Hermione told him softly and he blushed. "You're right though, one of us will have to get a closer look. How about you distract her and I'll see what I can find."

"Divide and conquer," he nodded in approval, "I like it. Let's do this."

 _So light'em up, up, up_

 _Light'em up, up, up_

 _Light'em up, up, up_

 _I'm on fire_

 _In the dark_

The arrival of Emma on the scene, along with Henry's loud questioning, provided the perfect distraction for Hermione to disillusion herself and sneak the piece of glass Regina had slipped into her pocket away. Moving back into the forest, Hermione dropped the spell and studied her prize. Why was this so important to Regina? Why had she looked so angry at the sight of it? It looked so ordinary. If it had been a piece of mirror, Hermione would have had more of an idea of its origin but this glass could have literally come from anywhere. Unless she was willing to take a trip down into the mine shafts, it would be very difficult to determine anything.

Stepping out of the woods, she spotted a group of figures standing near a police car. Hermione watched Regina and Archie with narrowed eyes after the Mayor had sent Emma and Henry in different directions. The shard of glass Hermione still held in her hand cut into her skin as she clenched her fingers and she quickly relaxed her grip. Slipping the glass into her pocket and silently healing the gashes, Hermione observed the way Archie paled as Regina spat at him and the way the threatening gleam in the other woman's eyes- the Evil Queen was making an appearance now.

As soon as Regina had walked away, Hermione hurried over to the good doctor. "So, you're Jiminy Cricket?"

The man startled and turned to her. "What?"

"Henry tells me that your alter-ego is Jiminy Cricket."

The man tensed at the sound of the ten-year old's name. "Yeah, he has been claiming that." He shuffled back and forth a bit. "I wish I could stay and talk but I really must be getting-"

"I've always appreciated," Hermione interrupted, stepping closer to him, "just how clearly children can see into the truth of things, the truth of people."

"I, what?"

"It's all so clear to them," she continued. "So black and white. No worrying about the tiny details that we adults are made up of that force us to try and explain away the darker parts of each other, lest someone judge us solely based on our own. The woman in power who lives for the towns fear of her is an Evil Queen. The woman who refuses to bend to her will is the Savior. And you, the man who tries to be voice of reason in a senseless world, are the living embodiment of a conscious. Wouldn't it be so much easier if things were as simple as that? Rather than the alternative, I mean."

"The alternative?" he echoed.

"Oh, yes," Hermione's smiled turned cold. "The one where, instead of being a guiding light, the man is really nothing more than a spineless coward who would rather bend to the will of a monster that is ordering him to break a child than stand his ground and do what he knows his right. Don't look so surprised," she continued at the look of surprise on his face, "it was plain to see what Regina was demanding from you, even if I couldn't hear the exact words she said. What did surprise me was how quick you seemed to fold under her gaze."

"She's his mother," Archie argued, though his eyes betrayed the conflict he felt at what he was being ordered to do.

"You're a doctor," she countered. "Because of your profession, you have a duty to help those in your care the best you can, regardless of personal feelings. It is your job to support Henry in the best way you can. If you do as Regina is asking, if you attack Henry's beliefs the way she is telling you to, you will be betraying everything you stand for. So, I guess the question you need to ask yourself, Dr. Hopper, is this: who do you actually want to be? Are you a coward or a conscience?"

If this were a movie, Hermione would have dramatically walked away after telling him her thoughts and left him to ponder what she said. However, she knew that Henry had another therapy session tomorrow and she needed to know what he would be facing when he entered that office, if he would need her support after all was said and done.

"I don't know," Archie finally whispered. "I don't know who I am."

"Then I suggest you figure out who you want to be and go from there. It's always best to start a quest with a clear goal in mind."

"You really care about him, don't you?"

That question gave her some hope for the man. "I love Henry. I may not have known him for very long, but he is still family and I will not just stand by and watch as Regina or anyone else hurts him."

Archie nodded at her before slowly turning and walking away.

"Moving spiel there, Granger."

She tensed at the sound of her name and spun around. "Thomas."

Thomas Quahog leaned against a tree. "Been a long time, hasn't it?" She stayed quiet. "We need to talk."

 _The writers keep writing what they write_

 _Somewhere another pretty vein just dies_

 _I've got the scars from tomorrow_

 _And I wish you could see_

They sat in tense silence at the girls' room at the inn. "Well," Hermione finally said. "I assume you have something very important to say if you've come all this way."

Thomas nodded. "I'm here on behalf of the President and the British Minister." Hermione's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Not what you expected, huh?" he drawled. "Samuel would have come himself, but the President of the Magical Congress of the United States disappearing to the backwoods of Maine would have brought some unwanted attention."

"So he sent his cousin instead."

"Yep," He smirked, blue eyes sparkling. "You've caused quite a splash, Hermione. Everyone is beside themselves, wondering where on Earth the Golden Girl could have run off to. The truth is much more outlandish then any of their theories though."

The dark-haired wizard grinned at her and Hermione allowed herself to relax slightly. "It's good to see you, Thomas. I missed you."

"Yes, that was clear from the many cards and letters you sent me this past year. Oh, wait," he teased.

If it had been anyone else, Hermione might have grown defensive but this was Thomas. She'd known him for years, since they had first visited the states and he had helped her when she'd accidentally used magic. "What can I say, saving the world is a rather time-consuming endeavor," she joked.

"To think that the girl I helped almost ten years ago after she accidentally set fire to a bush would go on to stop a bunch of bigoted terrorists. Though, it seems you've now moved on to invading a mysterious magical community that's been unapproachable for the last 28 years." Thomas leaned forward. "You just had to involve yourself into another mess."

"I take it Kingsley got in touch with Sammy then?"

"Sam almost fell out of his chair when Kingsley told him where you were. Did you know, we've been trying to come to this town since it first appeared but we couldn't get past the wards. Not even the Gringott's Curse-Breaker's we brought in could breach the security surrounding this place. Then you show up out of the blue and was able to create a few cracks for people to get through. What the hell are you doing here, Hermione? And how the fuck were you even able to get in?"

Hermione sighed. "That's a long story, Thomas, and it a bit unbelievable. The short of it is that this town, everyone in it, is from another land and were brought here by a curse."

"No shit, Sherlock," he snorted. "MACUSA already figured that out for themselves."

"What?!" Hermione gapped at him. "You already knew? How is no one else aware?"

"Our sensors went haywire when this place showed up and auror's were immediately sent to see what was going on. They couldn't get in though, so the Major Investigations Department was sent in to see what was up. They found that the magic in this town was nothing that had been seen before, something previously unknown. We've had this place under surveillance ever since but the only person who's ever come out has been the Mayor, which should be impossible since they'd have run out of food and supplies by now." Thomas pulled out a file from his pocket and handed it to the British witch. "Our version of the Unspeakable's were able to tell us that the town came from another world and that, upon further analysis of the magical readings taken here, there was enough similarities between our magic and theirs to determine that it was some form of Dark Magic that brought them here but not much else."

Setting the file down on the table next to her, Hermione studied her oldest friend. "Why are you telling me all this?"

Thomas sighed. "On behalf of the President of the Magical Congress of the United States of America, I would like to offer you a job as an Independent Contractor. Basically, we want you to find out what the fuck is going on in this town. We need to know more about what they're doing here, their future plans, and how their magic differs from our own. As of right now, the International Wizarding Confederation has no idea about Storybrooke and we want to keep this as quiet as possible so that we don't have to deal with their crap until we absolutely have to."

"This will cause an international incident," Hermione noted. "America will be heavily censured if they find out you've kept quiet about this for nearly three decades."

"Hey, we didn't break any rules," Thomas spread out his arms and Hermione absentmindedly noted just how much her friend had changed over the past few years, from a scrawny teenager to a tall, broad-shouldered adult. "We monitored the situation, made sure that there was no threat to the world at wide or the International Statute of Secrecy, and even brought in outside consultation to help us. This happened on American soil and we weren't about to let a bunch of foreign wizards come in and start making demands before it was necessary."

"I'm not judging any of you, Thomas," Hermione sighed, exasperated. "I would have done the exact same thing if it had been my call. But, as soon as the wards around this town fall, you'd best be prepared to deal with the consequences. The other countries, specifically China, Britain, and Germany, are going to be critical. You may even have an official sanction brought against you."

"Considering how busy they are trying to deal with explaining to the world why they sat back and did nothing as another Grindelwald rose up in Britain, I think we'll be fine." Hermione scowled. Yes, most of the major European countries were in trouble for respecting the late Dumbledore's wishes and allowing Britain to deal with their issues themselves, but they would take any opportunity they could find to distract everyone from their mistakes and focus their ire somewhere else. "And they'll be a lot less angry if they read reports brought to them by the Hermione Granger. Despite what the British media is trying to say, most of the world knows just how important you were to the war efforts and that Potter would have lost without you. Two British Halfbloods fighting against one another is run of the mill but a Muggleborn being named Undesirable Number Two by a Pureblood Regime? That made people take notice."

Hermione groaned. "That's just what I need right now, the attention of the world when I'm trying to keep a low profile."

Thomas leaned forward to grab her hand. "Hermione, you don't have to worry about people finding out you're here. You and your sister are both American citizens thanks to your mother and the President promised you that you'd be safe here and he meant it. We kept her and your parents safe while you were gone, didn't we? This isn't Britain, Rita Skeeter isn't going to be stalking your every move. And if you don't want to be a part of this then that's okay, Sam and I just thought that, since you're already here, it'd be easiest for you to keep an eye on things instead of us sending more people in."

Biting her lower lip, Hermione considered his proposal. "I'd need a guarantee that no one else from the American Ministry comes into town without alerting me first. There's a lot going on here and things are already in a delicate enough position."

"Fair enough." Thomas perked up. "So, you're agreeing, right? You'll keep an eye on things here for us, get a handle on the situation."

"Yes, fine. But only because I don't want any of you coming here and mucking around!"

"Don't care about the reason, just the end game." He winked. "But before we get into all the boring details, care to tell me more of this long story? I'm dying to know what you've found out."

Hermione pulled the large, leather-bound book out of her bag and passed it to her friend. "Once upon a time…"

 _That you're the antidote to everything_

 _Except for me_

 _A constellation of tears_

 _On your lashes_

Emma didn't get in until after Hermione had already gone to bed that night so Hermione wasn't able to tell her sister about Thomas until the next day. Hermione had gone down to the diner to pick up some lunch and brought it back to the room. "God, I love you," Emma declared once Hermione handed her a container. "Yesterday was such a mess, I don't even think I ate dinner."

"Everything alright?" Hermione asked, taking a seat across from the blond.

"Yeah, Graham just wanted one of us to stay by the mines at all times in case some idiot kids decided to do a test of courage or something and try and go down there."

"And how is Graham? Is your new boss playing nice?"

"Stop," Emma ordered. "Do not go there."

"Too late," Hermione sang. "I'm already here and I'm setting up shop."

"What were you and Archie talking about?" The change of subject wasn't at all subtle but Emma didn't care.

Hermione scowled. "Regina ordered Archie to force Henry to stop believing in magic. I didn't hear the entire conversation but I was able to catch the tail end of it where she told him to 'take that delusion out and crush it'."

"But Archie said that doing that would hurt Henry!" Emma protested. "That it'd just make it worse!"

"It'd make it worse because he's not crazy!" Hermione snapped. "He's not crazy, you and I have officially settled down in town, and now Regina's getting desperate. And you should probably know that I was paid a visit by Thomas on official MACUSA business."

Emma dropped her burger back into its box and buried her face in her hands. "For God's sake, why? What the hell do they want?"

"They want to know about this town. It's been here for 28 years, Emma, but until we arrived, they couldn't get in. Now they can and they want to know how a town that is from another world found a way to appear in the backwoods of Maine."

"They confirmed it? That these people came from another world?"

Grabbing the file Thomas had given her off a table, Hermione passed it to Emma. "Their Unspeakable's were able to, yes. Sam and Thomas thought it would be best if I took the lead on the investigation here, rather than sending in any other people. No one has been in or out of Storybrooke except for Regina and Henry the entire time it's been here so it would cause quite the stir if any more strangers made an appearance."

"I take it you agreed?"

"Of course I agreed. Better me than some random official who would try and drag you away for testing first chance they got since you seem to be the only person who still has even a small handle on their worlds magic."

Emma's jaw dropped. "I don't have any magic!"

"Yes, you do. It's not as obvious as my own, but it's there. It's the reason you can tell what type of magic I do, why you could enter the town wards despite being a total stranger, and why there was a bloody earthquake today while you were being deputized." Hermione held up a hand to stem her arguments. "You don't have to like it, Emma, but don't you dare try to say I'm wrong."

There was knock at the door then, and Emma jumped up to answer it. Hermione was absolutely right, she didn't like the idea that she had some otherworldly magic running through her veins, and Emma didn't want to have to keep hearing about it from her. "Kid?" Emma asked after she'd opened the door, surprised at the upset look on his face. "What happened?" Henry just threw his arms around Emma and hid his face in her stomach.

"Henry?" Hermione stood up and walked over, kneeling beside the boy. "Are you alright?"

Pulling away, Henry turned to his aunt and roughly wiped his eyes. "It's Archie. The Evil Queen got to him. He said I needed to stop talking about the curse because people will think I'm crazy and they'll lock me away."

Hermione reached out and gently took his hands. "Did Archie say he thought you were crazy?"

"I," Henry paused, thinking. "I don't think so. I was- I just said we should look in the mine to see what the Queen is hiding, and he said that it was too dangerous and then started talking about I needed to wake up."

"Going down in the mines right now is too dangerous, Henry." Hermione squeezed his hands. "You could get badly hurt if you went down there. I think you scared Archie when you started talking about going down there."

"I'm not crazy!"

"No, you're not," Emma sighed, pulling her sister up and leading them over to the couch. "You're not crazy, Henry, but you've got to be smart about this."

"You don't think I'm crazy?" Henry breathed. "You believe that the curse is real?"

"I believe there's something going on here," Emma slowly answered. "And that it's something magical. But I don't know if I believe that it has anything to do with fairytales or that I'm some sort of savior." She didn't want to hurt him, but Emma wasn't going to lie to him about this.

Henry jumped up and threw his arms around Emma again. "You don't think I'm crazy."

"Not any crazier than Hermione, at least."

"That's not saying much," Hermione whispered to Henry. He gave a small smile but they could tell he was still upset.

"I'm going out for a bit," Emma said abruptly, moving to grab her jacket. "Don't do anything dumb till I get back."

"Don't worry, we prefer doing stupid things in front of you so that we can see your reaction for ourselves." Rolling her eyes at her sister, Emma paused at the doorway before leaning and hugging Henry tightly. She let him go after a moment and disappeared out the door. "Let's sit," Hermione told Henry, leading him over to bed and plopping down.

Henry sat down next to her and fell back, resolutely staring at the ceiling. "I'm not crazy," he finally whispered.

"No, you're not." She also fell back and turned to look at her nephew. "But Henry, why does it matter if Archie believes you?"

"I don't know," Henry shrugged. "It just does."

"Alright. It's not Archie's fault though, I think the curse keeps them from seeing the truth, just as it causes none of them to be alarmed when they realize they don't remember anything of their lives besides the time they've spent here."

"So, no matter how hard I try, none of them are going to believe?" Henry turned to look at her. "But you did it! You found Rumpelstiltskin and made him remember! Is it because you have magic?"

Hermione turned onto her side. "No, Henry, he remembered without my assistance. He somehow found a way to regain his memories once Emma returned to town."

"Oh." It was quiet again for a bit before Henry whispered, "Can I meet him? Rumpelstiltskin?"

Her automatic response was to tell him no, but Hermione forced herself to actually consider her request. Gold already knew that Henry was aware of the curse, that he was in possession of the storybook that contained their history. It would be good for Henry to know that there was someone out there that also knew that he was right, that had actually suffered from the curse. If things somehow went wrong, she was more than capable of keeping Henry safe… "I need to ask him first, make sure he's alright with you knowing. And in the meantime, promise you won't do anything rash. Whatever is down in the tunnels should be left undisturbed for now, it's not safe and we can find the proof you're looking for elsewhere. Agreed?"

Henry's beam convinced her that she had made the right decision.

 _Burn everything you love_

 _Then burn the ashes_

 _In the end everything_

 _Collides_

Hermione escorted Henry back to his house, not surprised to find Regina waiting for them with a scowl. "I told you to come straight back here after your appointment," she immediately said to Henry, stepping forward and pulling him away from his aunt. "I don't know where this disobedient attitude came from, but we are going to have to have a long talk later about what you are and aren't allowed to do."

Henry pulled away from her and raced into the house and up the stairs without looking back. Regina's eyes tightened when the slam of his door echoed through the mansion. "I don't know what you think you're doing," she hissed at Hermione, who stared calmly back at her, "But I've had enough of you putting ideas in my son's head."

"Oh, I think you're giving me far too much credit, Madam Mayor. Those ideas were already in his head long before I arrived in town. It makes one wonder what exactly you've done previously to make Henry even entertain the idea that you're not a good person."

"If you think you can come into my town and take my son from me," Regina snarled.

"I'm not thinking of doing anything," Hermione laughed, stepping forward. "I'm already doing it. A little bird told me that you were looking into my sister and I. Not very smart of you, I must say, but rather convenient for me."

"And what do you mean by that?"

"Just as I've said; you really are making things quite easy for me. I warned you, remember? I told you that out of the two of us, I'm the one holding all the power. Your digging into my past has caught the attention of several powerful individuals and I've found myself curious too. Tell me, how is it possible that a town that has been here for over 28 years has managed to pay not even a penny in taxes?" Regina paled. "Not a cent has gone to either the State or Federal governments. In fact, there's very little information on this town at all- just a town census that hasn't changed at all over the years. All the paperwork for the town is there, all good and proper, yet it also hasn't needed updating all these years because, miraculously enough, not a thing has changed. Care to take a guess as to how that might be? I myself think the most shocking bit is the fact that no one else checked up on things until now, as though the very knowledge of Storybrooke had just slipped their mind."

She crossed her arms across her chest. "Are you trying to imply something, Miss Granger?"

"Oh no, I'm implying nothing. Mostly because your actions have shown that you're apparently too stupid to grasp subtleties and that, if I am to get anything through to you, I'm going to have to be very blunt." Hermione set off one of the stones, overcharging it slightly to cause more damage when it hit the wards and increase the amount of pain Regina felt. "I have had it with your attempts to hurt my family," she told Regina softly, watching as the woman bent over in pain, clutching her chest. "You'd do well to set aside whatever preconceived notions you hold on your place in this world because I guarantee that everything you thought was real is wrong."

"What are you?" Regina gasped, looking up at Hermione with wide eyes.

"I think you already know the answer to that," Hermione smirked. "Chin up, your Majesty. I expect you to at least try and make things challenging for me. After all, this game isn't any fun if you're not playing."

 _My childhood spat back out_

 _The monster that you see_

 _My songs know what you did_

 _In the dark_

"Archie promised to apologize to Henry," Emma told her, sitting down next to her in Henry's castle. "Not sure how much good it'll do but it's something at least."

"That's nice. I believe I've convinced Regina that I'm the Savior, not you, so we've both had very productive days."

"You did what?!" Emma exploded.

Hermione glanced at her out of the corner of her eye. "Why are you so surprised? I told you that I was going to ensure that Regina kept her attention on me and not you. The only way to truly achieve that was to make her believe I was the bigger threat."

"I didn't think you meant that you were going to make yourself a target." Emma knotted her fingers in her hair, tugging uselessly. "God, Hermione, you can't do crap like this without telling me first. What if you're wrong about how much power she has? What if she comes after you?"

Her sister wasn't concerned. "If she had any magic here, she would have already used it, if not to attack me then to fix the damage I've done to the wards."

"Hermione Jean Granger," Emma snapped, sounding just like their mother. "It is my job to look after you. I just got you back- I refuse to lose you again, do you understand me?" Hermione stared at her with wide eyes and nodded. "Good. No more pulling stupid crap like this without talking to me first. No more going off on your own and doing things behind my back. And, for the love of God, no more messing around with people who have already shown themselves to be dangerous. You're the one who said Regina probably did kill her own father in order to enact this spell; I doubt a woman capable of doing that would have any problems with killing you too."

"I'm sorry," Hermione murmured, shoulders bunched around her ears.

Emma pulled her into a hug. "It's you and me, kid. Please don't forget that you're not alone anymore."

"I thought Henry was 'kid' now."

"You're still 'kid' to me when you're off pulling childish crap like you have been."

"It's not childish," Hermione pouted.

She was right, Emma silently acknowledged. Hermione wouldn't have acted like this even when she was at her worst as a child. This Hermione was still burned by the war she'd left behind, and Emma couldn't help worrying about what her baby sister was going to become once she'd finally made her way out.

 _So light'em up, up, up_

 _Light'em up, up, up_

 _Light'em up, up, up_

 _I'm on fire_

"You managed to get the Mayor into quite a state of panic," Rumpelstiltskin said in lieu of an actual greeting when she ran into him that evening after Emma had headed back to the tunnels to keep an eye on things.

"Please," Hermione waved his words away, "Regina's been that way since the moment we set foot into town."

"She was concerned with Emma's appearance," Gold corrected. "In her mind, you were just the younger sister who thought far too highly of herself. Now, now you're the real threat."

"Well, it's about time that she finally caught on." She joined the shopkeeper behind the counter and started idly flipping through a book he had nearby. "If that woman was half as smart as she thought she was, then she would be twice as smart as she actually is."

Gold smiled faintly. "If you keep expecting people to have the same level intelligence as you, then you will constantly find yourself disappointed."

Hermione gave a short laugh. "A lesson learned often in my life."

"Perhaps you are too confident in your own abilities if you've been taught the same lesson repeatedly and yet have still not managed to grasp the underlying message."

They sat in silence for a bit, both waiting for the other to give in and ask the first question. Rumpelstiltskin was far more experienced than Hermione though, and she eventually broke first. "Does Regina believe I am the Savior?"

"Her Majesty is currently very confused as to who you are. Having magical powers in this world would imply that you are the savior, but the age is wrong. Though, as she is unaware that there is a magical population in this world, Regina will probably be forced to believe you that you are and something unusual happened with the magic that brought you here. It'll help that your sister doesn't seem to know anything about magic."

Hermione sighed, resting her forehead on the counter. "Emma's powers aren't as obvious as my own, but they're there. I think the lack of your kind of magic in this world is what's limiting her, even though she almost seems to be made of pure magic."

He hummed but didn't respond, just waited until the young woman was a little more relaxed to ask his own question. "What were you like as child, when you were attending your magical school?"

Turning her head to stare at him, Gold could tell she was surprised by his question. "I…" she trailed off, mind searching for a reason for his query. "I wasn't well-liked. I was constantly trying to show off how smart I was, answering every question asked in class and helping other students without being asked, and I wasn't the most attractive child. I had trouble making friends and the ones I did make really only seemed to like having me around as a walking encyclopedia. We stuck together though. The boys were always getting into trouble and I was always the one scrambling to find a way to make sure we all made it out okay."

Things were slowly clicking into place for Rumpelstiltskin and he wasn't sure he liked the picture that was appearing before his eyes. "The war must have changed you and your friends greatly."

"Not as much as you'd think," she snorted. "In your world, what are the other main realms? Besides the Enchanted Forest, I mean, which is divided into at least seven different kingdoms, from what I can tell."

Rumpelstiltskin frowned. "There are many realms in our world, but the main ones other than the Enchanted Forest are Agrabah, Arendelle, Camelot, and DunBroch. There are different kingdoms within them, but those are the names of the main realms." He raised an eyebrow at Hermione's groan. "The only ones you should be encountering here in Storybrooke are citizens from the Enchanted Forest, unless you know something I don't."

"Oh, the number of responses that could be made after that comment is impressive," Hermione grumbled, shifting so she was face down on the counter again.

"I'm sure it is. Before you start though, I have one last question for you today: what was the change you wished to happen in your world that didn't occur at the end of the war?"

Hermione sighed. "Much like how I assume the royalty in your world is, lineage is very important in the British magical world. Those who had a long history of magical family members didn't approve of those like me who are the first magical user in my family and tend to try and make life more difficult for them. There was a bit of a civil war where they tried to gain control of the government but we managed to defeat them. Unfortunately, now that the war is over, people would rather try and go back to how things were than change things because people are 'tired of fighting' and some people think it would be 'better to wait'. Not everyone, of course, but enough."

"So you left." Hermione may have thought she was being clever in her attempts to hide the full truth by the minimum amount of facts, but Rumpelstiltskin had been playing this game for far longer. 'Make life more difficult for them' indeed.

"I prefer to think of it as shifting strategies." She didn't know why he wanted to know this, wasn't sure how it would benefit him, unless he was planning on making a trip to Magical Britain the moment he could escape this town. If that was Gold's plan, then Hermione wished him the best; his appearance would certainly shake things up. "Now that we're done with that, I have something to speak with you about. Henry would like to meet you, as Rumpelstiltskin."

"Considering your sister's disgust towards me, I would have thought any communication between Henry and I would be the last thing you'd wish for." Gold turned fully towards her and she finally straightened up.

"It wasn't in my original plans," Hermione admitted. "However, Henry has been having a bit of a difficult time recently and I think it's important to do what I can to prove to him that he's not crazy so that he doesn't go off on his own. He had this idea of sneaking off to search the mines for whatever Regina is hiding down there and I truly believe he wouldn't have hesitated to go through with it if it wasn't for the fact that I both believe in him and that I'm proof that magic is real. It could have gone a different way though, and that's why I believe Henry speaking with you might be for the best. You're proof that the curse is real and you're a famous character in his book. If I can provide him a support network of people who believe in the curse, he will hopefully come to realize that he doesn't need to go out on his own to find proof, that there are people willing to help him."

"Or I could just make things worse and Henry will become even more desperate and reckless to get Emma to fully believe and break the curse."

"That's a risk I'm willing to take. Besides, I know you won't do anything bad on purpose." She leaned in a bit and smirked. "You know full well where you stand and I'm sure you've heard enough from Regina to know that I'm not someone you want to upset."

"Of course not, dearie. You might want to keep in mind though, that you can't control everything. Some things will always be outside your control, no matter how powerful you are. Best be careful about what goes slipping through the cracks."

 _My songs know what you did_

 _In the dark_

 _My songs know what you did_

 _In the dark_

 _So light'em up_

* * *

 **Please leave a review on your way out!**


	8. Chapter 8

**(A/N): Hello guys! Can I just say how glad I was that you all liked the last chapter! I'm glad that Thomas was well-received, along with the introduction to the MACUSA. And I also love that you all love Hermione and Henry's bonding and Hermione and Rumpel's conversations! Both of those are going to be happening frequently so I'm happy there's no hating!**

 **Shoutouts to IvoryDarkWolf, ReadLikeHermione, ndavis77, Carol542, FrumiousBandersnatch10, pendora59, Najada, Another Random Human, Hotgirlow, AugustRrush, Fear The Darkness Inside, NicoleR85, RHatch89, and Guests for reviewing! I'm so thankful for every review I get! I enjoy being able to hear what you're thinking and I want you to know that I do keep your thoughts and suggestions in mind while planning out this story. I can't wait to hear what you guys think of this chapter!**

 **Special shout out once again to fringeperson for her help and support with this story! She's a beautiful person and I'm super grateful!**

 **This chapter is set during episode 6 and the first part of episode 7 of OUAT. Not all of episode 7 though, so I'm ready for the shade you all will be throwing my way!**

 **Song lyrics for this chapter come from "Muddy Waters" by LP.**

 **Thanks to singingmyheartsong for beta reading this chapter! You're amazing!**

 **Hope you all are having a great weekend! Enjoy!**

* * *

 _We are kneeling at the river's edge_

 _And tempting_

 _All the steps to follow closer_

 _Right behind_

"Well, on the plus side," Emma set a box down on the kitchen counter, "Gold really did come through for us."

"Yes," Hermione glowered, "but on the other, we are currently living at a house just down the street from the Nolan's."

Her sister snorted. "This is Storybrooke- we were always going to be right by some person we don't like."

"True," she sighed moving to sit on the couch. "The drawbacks of living in a small town. At least the place came furnished."

Emma moved to join her. "Careful now, you're making it sound like there are some perks for living in town with less than 5,000 people in it."

"Well, one perk is that, if we die, a neighbor would surely notice sooner rather than later."

"You can get that in the city too," Emma argued with a laugh. "Your neighbors would eventually notice the smell and call the cops; they wouldn't notice because they're keeping track of when you enter and leave the house."

There was a knock at the door and the sisters looked at each other, silently trying to decide who would have to be the one to get up. Emma pointed at Hermione, "Hey, I carried most of the boxes, you can at least get the door."

Hermione was unimpressed. "I could have gotten all the boxes if you hadn't insisted on no magic. Besides, the only people I've really interacted with here in town are Mr. Gold and Henry so it's probably for you."

"Yeah," Emma snorted, "I'm Miss Popularity over here." She heaved herself to her feet and trudged over to the door. Wrenching the door open, she stared in surprise at the blond woman waiting on the other side of it. "Uh, hi?"

Kathryn Nolan sounded just as hesitant as Emma when she returned the greeting. Hermione tipped her head back on the seat so that she could clearly see both women.

"I'd heard you guys moved into the neighborhood and I just wanted to say hi," Kathryn told Emma. "Congratulations on being made deputy."

Emma blinked. "Okay." Hermione snorted in amusement and her sister hurriedly continued. "Thanks. Sorry, things have been a bit crazy the past few days."

"Of course, I understand. I won't take up too much of your time, I just wanted to let you know that we're throwing a welcome home party for David this evening at seven and, since you were one of the people who helped rescue him, I was hoping you could come."

Glancing at her younger sister over her shoulder, Emma slowly answered, "I don't know if we'll be able to come, we've still got a lot to do here."

"I understand," Kathryn told her with a soft smile. "If you can though, please feel free to stop by."

"Will do." With one last awkward smile, Emma closed the door and groaned quietly. "That, that right there is why small towns are the worst."

"I'm not going," Hermione immediately told her. "I'm not going and you can't make me."

 _Is it only when you feel_

 _The pot is empty_

 _That it's gnawing at the corners_

 _Of your mind_

"You are officially the worst sister ever."

Emma smirked at her. "You couldn't really expect me to stand down after that challenge, could you? Besides, Henry's here and he wanted us to come."

The sisters were sitting on the stairwell in the Nolan's home, Emma having dragged her little sister along to the party that evening. "Henry would have been just as happy to sneak out of the house and come see our new home," Hermione grumbled. "You're just being cruel."

"You made it!" Henry cheered, interrupting their conversation.

"Henry!" Hermione greeted, pulling the boy over to her and resting her forehead on his shoulder. "Make Emma let us leave."

"Leave? But I just got here."

"That's why I said 'we'. We'll all escape and head back to our home."

Henry laughed, dislodging Hermione from his shoulder. "No, we have to stay and try to get David to remember!"

"But why?" Hermione whined. "How can we make him remember? He hasn't met any of us."

The other two laughed at her tone. "Ah, this takes me back. She's been like this her entire life," Emma told Henry. "She hated crowds and would always to convince Mum and Dad to take her home from the moment the car was parked."

Seeming thrilled to be hearing more about their lives, Henry eagerly asked, "What about to amusement parks and stuff? Or Disney World?"

"She was enthralled by the colors and lights for maybe an hour but then she couldn't care less. And Hermione hates going on rides, any rides."

He gaped at the sulking brunette. "How is that even possible?"

"Forgive me if I don't enjoy needlessly forcing myself to face my fears; the part of the story Emma isn't telling you is that she loved going on all the tall, fast rides even though they terrified me."

"C'mon now," Emma nudged Hermione, "I don't see how you can even truly say you went to any amusement park if you don't ride at least one roller coaster."

"And I say you're a monster," Hermione grumbled, leaning into her sister's side.

"Hey." Doctor Whale walked up to them. "How's it going?"

"It's fine," Emma told him at the same time as Hermione said, "It's awful."

"You alright?" he asked Hermione, looking her over. "You're looking kind of pale there."

"He's right," Henry chimed in, studying her pale complexation. "You don't look too good."

Hermione hesitated for a moment. "I feel cold," she finally admitted.

Emma immediately pressed a hand to her forehead. "You feel warm," she muttered, moving her hand to touch the back of Hermione's neck. "I think you have a fever."

"Everything okay?" David asked as he walked up to them, making Hermione groan. She may not have spoken to the man before but she didn't like him- after all, he'd stuck her sister in a magical box and hoped for the best. It may have been Snow's idea, but he could have said no.

"It's fine," Whale reassured him. "Someone's just feeling a little under the weather. It'd probably be best if you took her home so she could sleep it off," he directed to Emma. "You guys close by?"

"They just moved in down the street," Henry chimed in.

"I'll walk her home," David instantly offered. At everyone's surprised looks, he sheepishly added, "I wouldn't mind getting some fresh air and that way you all can stay."

Henry grinned. "That'd be great!" When his aunt glowered at him, he leaned in to whisper in her ear as David asked Emma something, "Maybe being around your magic will help to bring his memory back."

If Hermione didn't love Henry so much, she would have told him how stupid of an idea that was but instead she just sighed and stood up, reluctantly meeting David's eyes.. "If you're sure you don't mind."

"It's no problem," David reassured her, resting a hand on the small of her back. If it wasn't for the fact that he was as eager as Hermione to get out of there as he was, and that she was rather sure he wasn't aware he was doing so, she would have rudely told him to keep his hands to himself. She decided to try and play nice for now, even allowing the man to help her slip on her jacket.

"Which way?" David asked when they were finally out of the house.

Hermione nodded to the left, too tired to even lift her arm. David seemed fine with the silence though, only checking to see what house number it was as they walked down the street. He seemed distracted, Hermione could only guess at what though. "You okay from here? Do you need me to help you inside?" David asked when they got to her porch.

"I'm good," she muttered, thankful that Emma hadn't bothered to lock the door since Hermione had placed wards in the house to keep out unwelcomed guests. It was lucky for her that the American Ministry was giving her such leeway, the wards she'd used weren't exactly approved for normal dwellings. "Thanks."

"No problem," he told her again, waiting till she had stepped into the house and closed the door to leave.

Dragging herself up the stairs, Hermione stumbled into the bedroom that Emma had designated as hers. She smiled faintly at seeing that her bed had already been made up; Emma had always placed her sister's needs above her own and Hermione was so thankful that she was fortunate enough to have Emma for a sister. Staying upright just long enough to slip into her pajamas, Hermione collapsed into bed and immediately fell asleep.

 _I will ask you for mercy_

 _I will come to you blind_

 _What you'll see is the worst me_

 _Not the last of my kind_

"Hermione." Emma was gently shaking her shoulder gently and she forced herself to open her eyes. "You've been sleeping for over 12 hours," her sister told her when she was sure Hermione was awake. "I need to go to work but Mr. Gold is on his way over here to stay with you; I don't want you here alone."

Blinking slowly, Hermione repeated, "Gold is on his way over?" Her voice was hoarse from sleeping for so long. "What about his store?"

"He's the one that offered. Apparently, this town is literally so boring that the news that you fell ill during the party became gossip fodder," Emma scowled.

"Alright," Hermione sighed, pulling the blankets up closer to her chin.

Emma frowned. "I'm really sorry I can't stay."

"It's okay," she murmured. "I'll be fine."

"Gold will be taking your temperature every couple of hours," Emma warned. "If it gets any worse then you'll have to go to the hospital."

"No hospital," groaned Hermione, already half-asleep.

The last thing she heard before she fell asleep was her sisters weary laugh.

 _Oh, in the muddy water_

 _We're falling_

 _Oh, in the muddy water_

 _We're crawling_

The sound of Gold's cane on the floorboards woke Hermione up again. Only feeling a bit better, Hermione forced her eyes open and shifted slightly to look towards the door. Moments later, Gold appeared with a bowl in hand. "Good, you're awake," he greeted, coming into the room and setting the bowl on her nightstand. "I've brought you some soup, you need to have some before you go back to sleep."

"No," Hermione grumbled. "Tired."

"I know, but you need some fluids in you so that you can get better quicker." His tone was surprisingly soothing, and she knew he was right, so Hermione forced herself to slowly pull herself upright.

"Careful," he scolded, leaning over to move her pillows behind her to support her back.

"Thanks," she whispered, abruptly realizing that her throat was parched and wishing she had water. As if he had heard her thoughts, Gold passed her a water bottle and she gratefully sipped at it.

Gold didn't bother making conversation as she slowly ate the chicken noodle soup he had brought her and Hermione was thankful for that. She could only guess that her body had been fighting off a virus when she had cast the wards on the house, which weakened her enough that the cold was able to affect her so severely. It was a stupid mistake, but at least it had happened when things were relatively quiet in town for the moment.

Hermione was surprised to be feeling significantly better after eating. "What did you put in this?" she asked Gold.

He smiled faintly. "I did nothing, the soup came from Granny's. The lack of nutrients in your system most likely made you feel worse than you actually were."

She hummed, knowing he was right. It had been a long time since she was sick though, since before Hogwarts. Hermione was distantly aware of the fact that a Pepper-Up potion would probably have her up and about in no time, but she had neither the strength nor the inclination to dig out her beaded bag and summon one and she certainly wasn't going to ask Gold to do it- he'd probably steal the bag and she'd never see it again.

Once she was finished eating, Hermione set the bowl down and slid back down on the bed. "You don't have to stay," she mumbled to Gold, who had sat down in the armchair near her bookshelf. "I know you're busy."

"Nonsense," he waved his hand dismissively. "You shouldn't be left here alone and I have plenty of free time on my hands at the moment."

"It's just the flu," she sighed, already starting to drift off. "No need for you to get all worried."

"Wouldn't be so sure of that, dearie," Gold murmured right as she was drifting off.

 _Hold me down_

 _Hold me low_

 _Sold me out_

 _In the muddy waters we're falling_

He was still sitting in her room when Hermione woke up again a while later, reading one of her old textbooks.

Hermione sat up and stretched, sighing in relief. "Feeling better?" Gold asked, setting the book aside.

"Much. Must have been a 24-hour bug." Swinging her legs over the side of her bed, Hermione slowly stood up. Once she was sure that her legs would support her, she hurried to the bathroom to clean up a bit.

Gold was still sitting there when she came back, glaring out the window. "Where's Emma?" Hermione asked, finally noticing how late it was getting.

"The Sheriff asked her to cover the night shift for him." He turned to look at her and the spark of amusement in his eyes made her instantly wary. "I've been instructed to make sure you eat dinner before I leave."

"The infamous Rumpelstiltskin is taking orders now? How scandalous."

Pushing himself to his feet, Rumpelstiltskin smirked at her as he said, "Always do your best to keep them guessing."

A thought popped in her head and Hermione groaned. "What is it?" Gold asked, looking concerned.

"I just realized I owe you two questions. Well, I suppose it's just one now." She smirked playfully at him.

He rolled his eyes. "Good to know that you're operating at full-capacity, Miss Granger."

"I'm hurt, Rumpelstiltskin- I would have thought you'd have learned my name by now."

"You know, most people would prefer I didn't refer to them by their given name. It seems to make them feel a little more secure."

Hermione led the way down the stairs and into the kitchen. "I'm fine with you using my name, but you don't have to if you'd rather not. By the way, thank you for finding this house for us." She turned to him just in time to catch the flicker of surprise in his eyes. "Considering how set things are here, I'm sure it wasn't easy, but we really are grateful. The fact that it came furnished as well is really helpful."

Gold studied her for a moment before nodding. "I'm glad. From what I've inferred about your sister, I got the sense that she would have preferred moving somewhere that required the least amount of effort to get settled in."

"You're not wrong," she agreed, sitting down at the table. "I look forward to seeing what meal the amazing Rumpelstiltskin provides today."

He stayed standing by one of the counters. "Since I thought it unlikely that there would be any food in your house yet, I took the liberty of calling the Diner and seeing if someone would be willing to bring something here."

Hermione couldn't help rolling her eyes at the smirk on his face. "I'm going to assume that you were persuasive enough to get them to accommodate your unusual request."

"I made a very compelling case," Gold shrugged.

There was a knock on the door and he immediately shuffled off to answer it. Hermione folded her arms on the table and rested her head on top of them, idly wondering if he would tell her what happened to his leg if she asked. The sound of raised voices made her turn her head to side and she listened closely.

"And what exactly do you think is going on?" Gold sounded amused. "Afraid I'm taking advantage of Miss Granger in her weakened state?"

"Just want to check and see how she's doing." What was Graham doing here? "Hermione must be in a very bad way if she's managed to catch your attention."

As the two men walked into the kitchen, Hermione forced herself to sit back up. "Good evening," she greeted Graham. "Is everything alright?" She quirked a brow at the smirking shopkeeper hovering in the doorway.

"Everything's fine," he assured her, eyes scanning over her. "Emma told me you were feeling a bit under the weather so I volunteered to come check on you and," he held up a white paper bag with Granny's logo on it, "I brought you some dinner."

"You didn't have to do that," Hermione smiled, pushing herself to her feet. "It is appreciated though. Do you have time to join us? I assume you must have something important going on tonight if you were forced to ask Emma to cover the night shift."

Something flickered in Graham's eyes before he seemingly forced a smile on his face. "I wish I could, but I really must be going."

"Yes, wouldn't want to keep anyone waiting," Gold sneered. Graham flinched and Hermione frowned at them in confusion.

"If you could call your sister in a bit and let her know you're still doing fine, she'd really appreciate it," Graham stated, setting the bag on the table before turning to leave.

Hermione blinked at where the Sheriff had been standing moments before. "Well, that was abrupt." She looked up at Gold. "I would ask you what that was about, but I don't want to."

The grin he gave her was all Rumpelstiltskin. "Because you don't want to owe me another question or because you're afraid of the answer?"

"The former, although that's no longer an issue because you just used your second question." Hermione opened the bag of food and pulled out several containers. Opening each of them, she stared in surprise at the array of food Gold had ordered for them. "I do hope you at least plan on eating with me, because there's no way I can eat all of this myself. Roasted chicken with vegetables, mashed potatoes, and grilled cheese sandwiches with tomato soup? A delicious, but strange, combination."

To her shock, Gold twitched slightly in what she could have sworn was discomfort. "Yes, well, you needed something filling after being sick for so long, but I'm also aware of your preference for Granny's grilled cheese when you're feeling unwell."

Unable to help herself, Hermione beamed at him before hopping to her feet and moving around the table to give the man a hug. "Thank you," she told him, tightening her arms around him for a moment before stepping back. Gold just stood there, frozen, staring at her with wide eyes. Bustling over to the stove, Hermione casually asked, "Would you like something to drink? We have tea, strawberry lemonade, milk, and water."

He was silent for a moment before finally answering, "Strawberry lemonade?"

She turned to look at him over her shoulder. "You've never had it?"

"I don't believe so."

"You own a pink house, but you've never had strawberry lemonade?"

Frowning, Gold asked, "How are those two things connected?"

"Both are far too outrageous for such a serious man like yourself, of course," Hermione told him with a laugh, pulling two glasses out of the cupboard and dancing over to the fridge to pull out the pitcher of the one drink the Granger family all loved. "This drink was my parents secret guilty-pleasure. As dentists, they disapproved of most sugary drinks, but neither of them could resist a far too sugary strawberry lemonade." She poured them each a glass and brought them to the table.

While she had been getting the drinks, Gold had retrieved plates and silverware and had quietly set the table. Carefully sitting down, he gave his glass a dubious expression before reluctantly picking it up and taking a sip. "Not bad," he declared, looking surprised.

"I can't believe you doubted me." Hermione took a long drink from her own glass before grabbing her fork and putting a piece of chicken and some vegetables on her plate.

They ate most of the meal in companionable silence, Gold seemingly lost in his own thoughts and Hermione's mind happily blank for the first time in a long time. It was after they had finished eating that he finally made his move.

"What sword were you accused of stealing?" Gold asked abruptly and Hermione choked on her drink.

"I…" she gaped at him, bewildered by the turn in events.

"You were talking in your sleep," he told her, studying her closely. "I believe you were having a nightmare. Strange how you don't seem to remember it yourself."

Hermione could feel things pressing up against the occlumency barrier she kept up at all times- memories, thoughts, feelings, all desperately trying to get out- but she refused to let any slip through the cracks starting to show. "I'd rather not answer that." She hadn't even been aware she had dreamed at all earlier.

Gold frowned. "That is your choice. However, I'm sure you're aware of the fact that you can only ignore things for so long. Eventually, whatever your pushing away will start pushing back."

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind." Hermione frowned down at her food. "Ask a different question."

He stood up. "I think I'll wait; save my question for another time. I really must be heading back to the shop."

She frowned, glancing over at the clock. "Your shop closes at seven, and it's a quarter to now."

"Yes, well, I have a late appointment coming in. A favor to the Queen."

"This favor better not involve my sister," Hermione warned him softly.

"Fear not, your sister won't be running into me tonight, barring any unusual occurrences. I can't say the same for her parents though."

Hermione widened her eyes dramatically. "Our parents are in town and nobody told me? How shocking."

Grinning, Gold corrected himself. "The Prince may be stopping by my shop tonight. It'll be interesting to see just how far his loyalty to Snow will carry him."

"Well then, don't let me stop you. Do let me know how it goes tomorrow."

"I'll be sure to do just that. Make sure you don't wear yourself out tonight; I do believe your sister will want to speak with you when she gets back."

With a groan, Hermione told him, "No one appreciates when you do that. Now I'm all worked up and expecting the worst so, if she comes home with some low-level news, I'm going to be horribly disappointed."

"We wouldn't want that."

 _It is not clear why we chose_

 _The fire pathway_

 _Where we end is not_

 _The way that we had planned_

Hermione jumped as Emma stormed into the house, slamming the door behind her.

"He's sleeping with her!" she shouted, throwing herself down onto the couch next to her baby sister.

She blinked at her. "Alright."

"What do you mean alright?!" Emma demanded, shooting the brunette a look full of betrayal.

"I will be needing a bit more context before I can give a proper response. All I have right now is a random fact without the situation it actually applies to, so I stand by what I said."

Emma snorted. "You stand by 'alright'?"

"I really do." Hermione closed her book. "Should I guess to whom you are referring to?"

"You will never be able to guess."

Hermione sighed. "I really hate these types of games. Let's see, is it Mary Margaret and David?"

"What?" Emma shot up from her slumped position on the couch. "They're sleeping together?"

"Okay, I'll assume that's not the couple you're referring to. Which I should have realized, since you said 'he', which means the man is more important than the female and you barely know David."

"He's married," her sister muttered, looking revolted.

"Yes, he is, and can I just say, as your baby sister who has looked up to you my entire life, I am relieved to see that you find cheating so reprehensible."

Emma groaned. "Why are you like this?"

"I am what you made me," Hermione retorted with a grin. "But back to the original point- what couple is shagging that has you all knotted up?" It was the flash of pain in her sister's eyes that made it click for Hermione. "Graham?" she asked, shocked. "Graham is having sex with someone else? Who?"

"Regina," Emma spat. "Who else? The woman who is raising my son is also shagging the man… who is my boss."

"Nice save." Sitting back in her seat, Hermione considered what Emma had told her. It didn't make sense to her. Graham was obviously smitten with Emma and she had never seen anything between the Sheriff and the Mayor to imply their relationship was other than professional so why did Emma think they were sleeping together? "How did you find out?"

"I caught him sneaking out of the Mayor's house while I was on patrol. He said he was volunteering at the shelter." Emma's disgust with the lie oozed from every word. "Instead he was 'volunteering' his time servicing Regina while Henry was asleep in the next room. Who does that?"

Hermione hesitated, unsure of what to say other than a snarky remark about parents doing that very thing- which she was sure wouldn't go over well with her emotional sister. "Do you think everyone knows about it and just hasn't said anything?" _I do believe your sister will want to speak with you when she gets back._

"Who knows." She slumped over and rested her head in Hermione's lap. "I don't even know why I care."

It was silent for a moment. "You cannot possibly be this dumb."

"Aren't you supposed to be quiet and sickly?" Emma grumbled. "Can't you go back to that?"

"I was, now I'm all awake and snarky. Isn't it lovely?"

"Nope." Emma shifted so that she was staring up at Hermione's face. "You sure you're feeling better?"

Hermione smiled reassuringly at her. "Absolutely."

"Good, you really had me worried there. I've never seen you that sick before, even when we were kids."

"Which means I was long overdue. Don't worry, Gold was a very attentive caretaker. I was given two full meals and he made sure I didn't leave his sights for more than a few minutes at a time, so he could be sure that I didn't spontaneously drop dead."

"Despite the fact that everyone else in town seems to hate him, and that those feelings are equally returned by him, Mr. Gold does seem to actually like you. Not in a creepy way, thankfully, I wouldn't have let him stay otherwise." Emma slowly relaxed as Hermione started playing with her hair, something she had always enjoyed doing ever since they were young.

"So, you were able to refrain from giving him the shovel-speech, were you?"

"Oh no, I still gave it. Not that it was mattered, bastard just looked amused the entire time," the blonde scowled.

"I think that's just his normal face." Hermione started French-braiding Emma's hair. "Why didn't your superpower sense that he was lying when he asked you to work the nightshift for him?"

"'I'm assuming because none of what he said was technically a lie. He does volunteer at an animal shelter, the supervisor probably is sick, and someone needed to feed the dogs- he didn't actually say that the one feeding them would be him." Hermione hummed in acknowledgement but didn't say anything. "I just don't get it," Emma finally whispered. "Why her?"

"I don't know but I do know that he wasn't feigning his interest in you. And we both know that Regina is working some dark magic here. Promise me you won't do anything stupid until we know more?"

Emma sat up abruptly. "You think she's using magic on him?" Her expression was a mixture of anger, worry, and the frailest bit of hope that tugged on Hermione's heart.

"We won't know until we actually look but I want to say that there is a good probability. Probable isn't enough though, so no going after Regina until I have proof."

 _All the spirits gather 'round_

 _Like it's out last day_

 _To get across you know_

 _We'll have to raise the sand_

Emma's cell phone ringing woke the sisters up. They had fallen asleep on the couch watching season 4 of Doctor Who and the menu screen from the DVD was currently repeating itself on the screen.

"Where's your phone?" Hermione grumbled, staring blearily around the room.

"Charger," Emma grunted. "On the table."

Snatching it up from the side table that her sister had gestured to, Hermione didn't bother to look to see who was calling before she answered. "Whaaaat?"

"I… Emma?"

Hermione blinked. "Graham?" Emma tensed next to her.

"Sorry if I woke you, but I need to talk to Emma."

Despite the fact that Hermione had been advocating for her sister to speak to the Sheriff before making any decisions about him, she couldn't help the kernels of disgust she felt at the knowledge that he was being intimate with someone like Regina. "I can say with absolute certainty that she does not want to talk to you."

Graham gave a sigh of obvious frustration. "I don't know what she told you but-"

"She told me enough for me to be able tell you, without any hesitation, that she doesn't want to speak with you for the time being."

"I just want to explain myself!"

"Do you even know what you want to say?" He was silent. "If you don't know what to say, then how do you hope to explain anything? Do you really think forcing Emma to listen as you flounder about for words will really help with anything?"

He groaned. "I know, I know you're right. I just…"

Unable to help the kernel of sympathy she felt in response to the obvious pain in his voice, Hermione told him softly, "Give her a day, Graham. Take some time to think of what you want to say and try again later, alright?"

Muttering a sad agreement, he hung up and Hermione carefully set the phone aside before turning to look at her sister. Emma seemed just as sad as Graham sounded and Hermione couldn't allow that. "Alright," she said loudly, making Emma jump. "Here's the plan. You are going to go upstairs, shower, and change into your comfy clothes. I will run to the store and pick up enough supplies so that we can spend the day relaxing at home. Henry will be coming by after school so I was thinking we could all bake some cookies together and have hot chocolate before sending him home- really ruin his dinner tonight."

Emma blinked at her before smiling softly at her. "Sounds good to me."

"That is because all my plans are brilliant. Now, up you get."

 _I will ask you for mercy_

 _I will come to you blind_

 _What you'll see is the worst me_

 _Not the last of my kind_

Hermione's plans really were brilliant.

They had spent the day lounging around in the living room, Emma's half-hearted suggestions that they should unpack more being fully ignored. Hermione had picked up breakfast for them at Granny's, making sure to profusely thank the woman for being so accommodating to them and apologizing for anything Gold might have said the day before. The older woman had given her a very stern look for a moment before relaxing, smiling kindly at Hermione and saying that she was glad the younger woman was feeling better before bustling around to fill her order. Afterwards, Hermione had gotten everything else they would need from the grocery store and hurried home.

Henry finally came bursting through the door after they'd finished watching season one of _Sherlock_. Stopping in his tracks at the sight of the two girls on the couch sitting on the couch, his jaw dropped open. "You dyed your hair!"

Emma turned to smile at him, pushing back a rose-gold highlight. "Hey, kid. How was school?"

Popping upright, Hermione also grinned at her stunned nephew. "What do you think? I think purple really is my colour."

He dropped his backpack, hurrying over to the couch. "It's so cool! The only person here with hair like yours is Ruby and Mom always says it makes her look unprofessional but I think it looks really cool! Is it permanent? Did you use magic to do it?"

Hermione blinked at Emma. "Huh. It would have been easier to use magic. I didn't even think of that."

"Nothing wrong with the old-fashioned way," Emma shrugged. Turning to Henry, she explained, "We did it this morning. Hermione found the boxes at the store and couldn't resist getting them. We had pink highlights in our hair when we were younger, my attempt at dragging small-Hermione with me on my low-key rebellion."

Laughing, Hermione added, "Our parents thought we were adorable with our matching hair. And it washed out after a week or so, so they didn't see the need to get too bothered about it."

Reaching out to tug on one Hermione's purple curls, Henry beamed. "It's awesome. Wish I could do something cool with my hair."

"We'll include you next time," Emma promised. "I personally think you'd look great with some neon green in your hair."

Her sister nodded solemnly in agreement. "Oh, absolutely. With a little hair gel to make it all spikey." Henry giggled as Hermione reached over to ruffle his hair. "I do have a gift for you though, which will hopefully make up for our lack of green dye." Too lazy to actually stand quite yet, Hermione waved her hand and a small mirror came floating down the stairs and into Henry's hands. "For you."

He blinked at it. "Uh, thanks?"

Emma snorted. "It's a magic mirror. You can use it to communicate with us; I have one too. Just say either my name or Hermione's and we can talk to each other in secret. When someone's trying to reach you, the mirror will start vibrating. Make sure to keep it on you at all times," she ordered.

Henry frowned. "Like the Evil's Queen mirror?"

Hermione, understanding his concerns, instantly set out to reassure him. "No, nothing like that. These mirrors can't be used to spy on people. You're only able to see out through one of the partner mirrors if the other person activates it from their side. How it works is you look in your mirror and say the name of the person you want to talk to. The glass will turn cloudy as it tries to reach the other person. When you hear your mirror vibrating, look into it and you'll see the face of the person trying to reach you. To answer, say their name and then you'll be connected. It's simple, but safe. I promise."

"Cool!" Henry cheered, relaxing. "This'll be perfect for Operation Cobra."

"That was the hope. Now, up, both of you," Hermione ordered, standing herself with a stretch. "I bought all we needed to make our mother's super-secret, special-occasion-only oatmeal peanut butter chocolate chip cookies."

Henry popped up with a cheer, racing into the kitchen. Emma slowly stood, stretching and giving a small groan at finally moving after spending several hours curled in one position on the couch. "I'm pretty sure there are rules about getting kids all hopped up on sugar before they have dinner."

"Don't act like you're some sort of rule follower now," Hermione teased, ushering her sister ahead of her. "You'll always be a rebel at heart."

Once they started sorting out ingredients and finding where all the dishes were, it became obvious that Henry hadn't spent much time in the kitchen. When he finally admitted that Regina rarely allowed him in the kitchen when she was cooking because she didn't want him in the way, they had frowned at each other. Their own mother had loved when they offered to bake with her, stating that she enjoyed being able to spend time with them and that things always tasted better when they made them together. Neither had commented though, just made sure to walk Henry through each step and reassure him whenever he would make a mistake. By the end, they were each covered in flour and Hermione and Henry had consumed far more dough than they should have, but it was the most fun any of them had had in some time.

Emma had taken Henry to get cleaned up while Hermione started on the hot chocolate when an owl rapped at the window. Scowling at the bird in annoyance until she realized it was Kingsley's, Hermione quickly retrieved the letter tied to its foot and fed it some treats she kept on hand. "Will you be alright staying outside for a bit?" she asked it. "My nephew is here and he doesn't know about owl post yet." The bird hooted in agreement before flying off to a nearby tree. Hermione hid the letter in a cupboard before returning to the pan of milk heating on the stove.

Bounding down the stairs a minute later, Henry sat down at the table with a sigh. "This house is great. I didn't know it was empty; how'd you guys find out about it?"

"Mr. Gold found it for us," Emma told him, sliding into the chair next to him.

Henry frowned. "Mr. Gold?" He glanced at Hermione for a moment, brow furrowed, before his eyes lit up. He didn't say anything else though, just started rambling about his day and what he had done at recess with his friend Paige.

 _In the muddy water_

 _We're falling_

 _In the muddy water_

 _We're crawling_

Once Emma and Henry had left, Hermione decided to meditate for a bit before getting to Kingsley's letter. Stepping out into the backyard, she made a beeline for the tree the Kingsley's owl had settled into, glancing up to make sure it was alright and finally spotted it roosting in a dark corner of the trunk. Satisfied that it would be fine for the time being, Hermione sank down into a cross-legged position, resting her hands with palms facing up on her knees and let her eyes drift closed. Taking several deep breaths, Hermione felt herself relax as her mind drifted.

Nowadays, it felt like the only time she could relax was when she was meditating. This was the only time her brain was able to fully unwind. Even when she was asleep, her nightmares kept her from any real peace. Most nights she was only able to get a few hours of sleep at a time- a fact that she'd done her best to keep hidden from Emma. These past few nights were the first times she'd actually gotten any real rest and she could only attribute it to being ill the first night and the comforting presence of Emma the second night. The last time she had fallen asleep next to Emma had been when she was eight and snuck into her big sister's room after having a nightmare. Even when they had been in Boston, Hermione had slept in the bedroom while Emma slept on the couch since Hermione was still recovering from her wounds.

Carefully brushing against the energies of the trees around her, Hermione followed their roots deep into the ground and started searching the earth beneath the town for the strange energy she'd sensed previously at the mining tunnels. It took a few minutes for her to finally locate it, having been easily distracted by the many other strange things hidden around the town- specifically the graveyard. There was something very dark located there and Hermione made a note of it.

Hermione finally found the energy that had drawn her notice several days earlier and began gently pressing against it, curious at the dual nature of it. It was also strangely familiar… She was abruptly thrown back into her body and her eyes snapped open.

 _What on earth?!_

She considered trying to reach out again but decided against it. Climbing to her feet, she absently noted that the sun had moved quite a bit since she'd started as she made her way back inside. Her thoughts were focused on what had happened and she tried to puzzle out what exactly she had felt.

It was big, whatever was down there. The energy coming off it was massive, and it was magical energy too. Perhaps Gold would know what it was? Hermione may have been curious about it, but she knew better than to charge recklessly into the situation without knowing more about what was down there.

Pouring herself a glass of water, Hermione glanced at the cupboard hiding Kingsley's letter and sighed. Setting down her empty cup, she pulled out the envelop and unsealed it, pulling out the parchment with a deep breath. If this was another letter telling her about Harry's attempts to find her, Hermione was going to seriously consider sending the man a very vicious Howler. Once she had read it however, she found herself desperately wishing that had been the reason for his contacting her.

"Oh, hell no."

 _Hold me down_

 _Hold me low_

 _Sold me out_

 _In the muddy water we're falling_

When Emma arrived home that night, she was in a foul mood again. She'd texted Hermione that she was going to stop by the diner for a nightcap before heading back, which Hermione had thought was a terrible idea but had refrained from saying anything. The extra time had given her more time to write her very detailed threat to Kingsley about what would happen if he did as he'd said he would in the letter and Hermione had appreciated not having to explain to Emma what was going on yet.

"Let me guess," Hermione spoke up dryly, watching her sister storm into the house and slamming the front door behind her, "Graham was at the diner when you arrived."

"What, are you psychic now?" Emma snapped.

"No, just intelligent. Graham is there most nights when he's not pulling a late shift, which he only does on Fridays and Saturdays." Taking in the deep blush on her sisters face, one that was clearly of embarrassment and not rage, Hermione could guess what had happened when Graham had run into her lovely sister and it made her grin.

Emma groaned. "Why didn't you warn me then?!"

"Because I thought you knew," Hermione snorted. "We've spent a night or two there with him. How was I supposed to know that you'd repressed all memories of your time spent in his presence?"

"You knew I didn't want to see him!"

"I don't think that's what you want at all," she replied with a grin.

"Of course, it's what I want!" Emma threw up her hands in exasperation. "I have been obvious about that being what I want!"

"Because it's not what you want, it's just what you said."

Emma stormed up the stairs shouting, "You are impossible!"

"If I was impossible then I wouldn't be here, now would I?" Hermione shouted back.

"That would be an improvement!"

Hermione laughed, knowing Emma wouldn't be so riled up if nothing had happened with Graham. She just hoped whatever had happened was a step forward, not backwards.

 _Oh, don't fail me now_

 _Put your arms around me_

 _And pull me out_

 _Oh, I know I'm found_

 _With your arms around me_

 _Oh, save me now_

Hermione was slumped over the table the next morning as Emma prepared breakfast. "It's too early for this," she groaned, burying her face in her folded arms.

"You didn't have to get up with me," Emma reminded.

"I wasn't planning to, but then your stupid alarm went off and it took you three minutes to find the thing and shut it off. By the time you finally managed to pull it together, I was already wide-awake."

Emma set a plate of toast with scrambled egg on top down in front of her. "Yeah," she snorted, "I can see just how awake you are right now."

"Bite me." Hermione sat up and pulled the plate closer to her, picking up her food and biting into it.

"Not even going to use a fork?" her sister teased. "You heathen."

"Again, bite me."

Just as Hermione finished the last bite, her phone started to ring. She groaned, standing up and walking into the living room, following the noise to the couch and bending over to search the cushions. Finally finding it wedged down near the back of the couch, Hermione answered it with grumbled, "This is Hermione."

"Good morning," came Gold's cheerful greeting.

"No, it's not."

"It is for me, though it seems as though that's not the case for you and our dear Sheriff."

Hermione sank down onto the sofa. "You obviously called to tell me something, so I kindly suggest that you get on with it because I refuse to owe you a question this early in the day."

"The Sheriff was running through the woods, looking for a wolf. Or, to be more accurate, the Huntsman was out here."

She blinked. "Oh gods," Hermione breathed. "I'm on my way."

 _In the muddy water we're falling_

 _In the muddy water we're crawling_

 _Hold me down, hold me low, s_ _old me out_

 _In the muddy water_

 _We're falling_

* * *

 **Please leave a review on your way out!**


	9. Chapter 9

**(A/N): Hey guys! It's been a bit, hasn't it? Sorry about that, life has been a bit crazy lately. Also, I started working on and posting my latest fic which is a Hermione/Avengers crossover. My muse has been obsessing over that story lately so it's been the focus of most of my writing time.**

 **Shoutouts to Kittyinaz, 28, FruminousBandersnatch10, Bronzelove, pendora59, Elle Ryder, Another Random Human, Fatalromance, Elizabeth, NicoleR85, AugustRush, ndavis77, fringeperson, RHatch89, and Guests for reviewing! I love hearing from each and every one of you and it's great knowing what you think of what's happened so far and your thoughts on what's coming next.**

 **Special shout out to fringeperson for being the bright ray of sunshine that she is! Her help with this story has been amazing and I'm all sorts of grateful!**

 **This chapter is set in episode 7 of OUAT and any familiar dialogue belongs to the shows creators. THAT'S RIGHT GUYS- THIS IS IT. THE ANSWER TO ONE OF THE MAIN QUESTIONS I HAVE RECEIVED AWAITS YOU.**

 **Song lyrics for this chapter are the from the song "The Greatest Show" from the movie "The Greatest Show". Before you judge me, read the lyrics first and tell me that you don't think they fit freakishly well here!**

 **This chapter was unbetaed (though I did read through and edit it myself) so I apologize for any mistakes.**

 **Hope you all are having a great weekend! Enjoy!**

* * *

 _Ladies and Gents_

 _This is the moment_

 _You've waited for_

 _(Woah)_

Hermione met Gold at his small cabin located deep in the woods. "No wonder you have such a fearsome reputation in town, considering you own a murder shack."

He laughed. "Nothing so terrifying, dearie. Just somewhere I go to get a spot of peace and quiet. My Storybrooke self also enjoyed gardening and found that things grew better here than at the house in town, for some reason."

"Or maybe he appreciated a safe haven from that pink monstrosity Regina deemed fit to be your home."

"Yes," Gold scowled. "The Queen does have an interesting sense of humor."

She wrinkled her nose. "Is interesting really the right word for it? I might have gone with 'revolting' myself."

Leaning forward and resting both hands on his cane, Gold sighed. "Seems we've gotten a bit off subject."

Hermione's gaze also turned serious. "You said Graham was here chasing a wolf?"

"Indeed he was. I believe he had been chasing it all night. The Sheriff was looking quite… frantic. Any idea as to what could have set him off?"

Glaring at him, Hermione answered, "As you very well know, Emma found out about his arrangement with the Mayor the night before last and there was a small confrontation between the two yesterday outside of Granny's."

"Confrontation." Gold echoed with a smirk. "Is that what the kids are calling it these days?"

"Yes, Grandpa, it is. You should work to get down with the times."

He laughed. "It physically pained you to say that, didn't it?"

"I may be dealing with a bout of self-loathing right now, yes. But the fact that you now owe me two questions makes the pain that much more manageable." It was her turn to laugh at his expression.

"A situation that will be quickly resolved if you hope to help Graham sooner rather than later."

Hermione sighed in frustration. "Fine then. What did Graham say to you when you ran into each other out here?"

Gold shifted to take a seat on a nearby bench and Hermione wondered if his leg was causing him any discomfort. "He said he was looking for a wolf, one he had seen in his dreams and then in real life a few hours ago."

Moving to sit next to him, Hermione buried her hands into her jacket pockets. "Since Graham has only been said to be acting strangely over the last few days, it stands to reason that something must have happened recently- which means that this wasn't caused by our arrival," she puzzled out loud. "No one else seems to be remembering their past lives though. No one except you." Turning to face Gold, Hermione asked, "What caused your memories to return to you? If you had remembered all this time, I imagine things would be at least a bit different from how they are now."

Smirking, he told her, "I remembered everything when I heard Emma's name. A little security clause I built into the curse before Regina cast it."

"Well, that's useless," Hermione sighed, thoughts racing. "I'll assume that Graham's curse broke differently but-" she inhaled sharply. "Oh. I'm so stupid! It's so obvious! There's only one absolute way to break a curse in your land."

"Yes, it's all quite convenient. Graham kissed Emma and then his curse started fragmenting."

"But Emma doesn't love him, not yet. For Snow and Charming, when he gave her a kiss after she had erased their love, it didn't break for him. It only broke…" Hermione buried her face in her hands. "Gods, I'm so slow today. Even Ronald would look intelligent compared to me right now."

"You can contemplate your own shortcomings later," Rumpelstiltskin ordered. "Right now, we have a Huntsman wandering through the woods with his previous life and his current one beginning to splinter together. The only way to truly help him is to fully break his curse. So, dearie, I suggest you maneuver your sister into giving dear Graham a kiss before he cracks beyond repair."

 _Been searching in the dark_

 _Your sweat soaking_

 _Through the floor_

 _(Woah)_

"What's going on?" Emma immediately asked once she'd answered the phone.

"I need you to look for Graham in town," Hermione ordered, racing through the woods as she used magic to follow Graham's trail.

She heard a car door slam. "Is he alright?"

"No. His curse is beginning to break."

Emma inhaled sharply. "Last night…"

"That's right; congratulations, you're magical. Exactly as I said." Despite the fact that Hermione had spent over 6 months living in the woods, she had little experience with actually running through them and this was turning into an experience she could have lived without.

"Hermione," Emma warned. "What do you need me to do?"

Rumpelstiltskin's words flashed through her mind. "I'm in the woods now but there's no guarantee he's still here. Search the town and see if you can't find him. And for the love of God, if you do find him, make sure you keep him away from Regina. If she finds out about what's going on, she will do whatever it takes to make sure the curse stays intact."

When Emma responded, her voice was hard. "He won't stay in the woods forever. If he's so close to Regina here, then it stands to reason that they knew each other before the curse was cast. I'll make sure I find him before he tries to find her, you find Regina and keep her distracted." She hesitated. "Just… don't kill her, alright?"

Hermione was silent for a moment. "If you get the chance, I suggest you read the Huntsman's story in Henry's book. Then tell me how set you actually are on keeping Regina alive."

 _And buried in your bones_

 _There's an ache_

 _You can't ignore_

When Regina walked into her office, returning from her early lunch meeting with Sydney Glass, she found Hermione sitting in her chair, mud-caked boots resting on top of the shiny glass desk. "I've got a question for you," Hermione said, flipping through Regina's notebook.

Regina gaped at her. "What the hell are you doing in my office?!"

Hermione tossed the notebook aside, giving the other woman her full attention. "Asking you a question, obviously."

"I'm calling the police."

Sighing, Hermione flicked her fingers at the Mayor as she was reaching into her purse, freezing her in place. "No, you're not." Resting her elbow on the arm of her chair, Hermione leaned her head on her hand and contemplated Regina. "You really aren't bright, are you? Maybe you were before, but now… I don't know. Is it because you haven't actually had to think in almost thirty years? No need for an original thought when every day is the same, after all. Or was everyone just pathetically ignorant in the Enchanted Forest? I could see that. Even though I haven't had the misfortune to actually meet Snow and Charming, they're already grating on my nerves." She paused for a moment, watching Regina's eyes flicker over the room in panic. "I am going to release the spell on you and you are going to sit down and behave yourself while we chat. That is not a request, by the way, and I can guarantee you won't like what I do if you try anything."

With another twitch of her fingers, the spell lifted and Regina took in a deep, gasping breath. "You have magic?"

Hermione's jaw dropped. "No! Whatever gave it away?"

Walking slowly over to the chair in front of her desk that Hermione was pointedly looking at, Regina's teeth ground together as she sat. "So, who are you really?"

"Cagey doesn't suit you, Regina. You know exactly who I am."

Scoffing, Regina asked, "Do you really expect me to believe that _you_ are the Savior?"

"No, Regina, you aren't, because I'm not here to save anyone."

"Then why are you here?"

"Well, if we're being honest, I'm here because I have a lot of repressed emotions that I need to work through and I plan on using you to do so. My long-term goal is to end your reign of tyranny. My short-term goal though is to make you cry." Hermione shrugged. "What can I say, I've seen how little good actually manages to get done in a timely manner in the grand scheme of things so I thought I might try a more… forceful approach." Smirking at the shock in Regina's eyes, she added, "You shouldn't box people into your ideas of how they should be. Being the daughter of two 'heroes', and I do use the term very loosely, does not a hero make. Or heroine, if we're being exact."

Pursing her lips, Regina demanded, "What exactly are you planning on doing here?"

Dropping her feet to the floor, Hermione stood. "Since I've just informed you of my overarching plans, I assume what you actually asking about is what I'm planning to do right now, yes? That's simple enough- I'm going to find what you've stolen from Graham and return it to its proper place. There's something I've been dying to ask you though: why exactly do they call it 'stealing a heart'? After all, you didn't steal his literal heart, just found a way to completely control him, so what about it is worthy of being dubbed 'stealing his heart'?"

Regina's eyes widened and then she laughed. "Bold of you to say that you're going to get something back when you don't have a clue what it is you're looking for."

Hermione calmly watched the Mayor, not letting her amusement bother her. "It only sounds bold to those who are unaware of just how impressive I can be."

"From what I've seen, you're not known for much. You and your sister, you're both like ghosts. No roots, no tangible ties, just drifting around making nuisances of yourself until someone finally gets around to dealing with the two of you."

"And you think _you_ are the one capable of 'dealing' with us?" A strange pressure filled the room then, pressing down on Regina with so much force that she ended up slipping out of her chair and onto the floor. Hermione walked over to the kneeling Mayor. "Don't be so naïve, Regina; you have no real power here. Funny, isn't it? You cast this curse with the expectation that you would be all-powerful and find your elusive happiness but really, all you did was make yourself Ruler of the most inconsequential town I have ever had the misfortune to visit and gotten rid of the one thing that made you special: your magic."

"Every day here is monotonous, dull, and everything you initially loved about this place quickly lost its charm. You're in charge of a town that, essentially, does not need you since everything here is frozen- literally, you could disappear off the face of the earth and nothing would really change because the curse wouldn't allow it to. It's fascinating." She impassively watched as Regina's face turned redder and redder, unable to process the magic surrounding her.

"Threaten me all you like, your Majesty," Hermione sneered. "That's fine. But your actions are currently hurting my sister and I find that simply unacceptable." With a twitch of her hand, the magic around them dissipated and Regina gasped. "I've just been playing with you up till now but mark my words, you keep coming after my family and I'll come after you with a fury that would have your former evil self positively green with envy."

Stepping past Regina, Hermione walked to the door. "Watch your back, Regina. After all, it's not as though anyone else in this town is eager to do it for you."

 _Taking your breath_

 _Stealing your mind_

 _And all that was real_

 _Is left behind_

Hurrying towards the diner, Hermione toyed with her phone as she considered calling Emma. She knew that Emma would alert her as soon as she'd found Graham, but Hermione couldn't help the panic coursing through her. There was too much up in the air, too much she still didn't know. She'd been so tempted to just reach into Regina's mind when they were in her office and dig around until she could find the answers to all her questions. The only thing that stopped her was imagining how horrified Emma would have been if she had.

Head still down as she stepped inside, Hermione smiled slightly at the sound of Ruby's laughter echoing through the establishment as she slid into one of the booths.

"Hermione!" Ruby greeted from the counter, walking quickly over to the other girl. Dropping her voice, she whispered, "You've got good taste in friends- he is super hot!"

Finally looking up, Hermione frowned at Ruby in confusion. "Sorry?"

Ruby stepped to the side so Hermione had a clear view at the man leaning against the front counter looking supremely uncomfortable.

"You have got to be kidding me," she groaned.

"Hello, Granger," Malfoy smirked. "Long time no see."

"Not nearly long enough," Hermione spat, standing up. Jerking her head towards the door, she marched back outside, Draco a step behind her.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you weren't happy to see me."

Hermione spun around to face him. "Let's get one thing straight here, Malfoy: I do not have time to be playing games with you. If you are even idly considering causing any sort of trouble while you're here then I highly suggest you run while you still can."

Malfoy's expression was cold. "Shouldn't you first hear why it is I'm here before you start threatening me?"

"No," she snorted. "Nothing good ever happens from you appearing."

"You know, Granger, after your moving defense of my actions during my trial, I expected our reunion to be much less tense."

"Do not mistake me doing the right thing as my feeling anything towards you other than complete disdain."

"Oh, I wouldn't dare," he drawled, following behind her again as she led them to a nearby park.

Once Hermione had deemed them far enough away from any potential eavesdroppers, she sat down at a bench and waited for the wizard to sit down next to her before asking, "What do you want?"

Pulling out a letter from his pocket, Malfoy handed it to her with a grimace. "I'm sure our illustrious Minister can do a better job explaining than I."

Hermione hesitated for a moment before reluctantly taking the envelope from him and breaking the seal.

 _Don't fight it_

 _It's coming for you_

 _Running at ya_

 _It's only this moment_

 _Don't care what comes after_

 _Hermione,_

 _Before you start hexing Draco, you should know that it was entirely my idea to send him there. I know you said you have everything handled in Storybrooke, but I still have my reservations. However, instead of trying to insist you pull out and let MACUSA handle things, I had another idea: Draco will be staying in Storybrooke and assisting you with the situation there as part of his community service._

 _You said Regina doesn't have any magical powers in Storybrooke but still, better safe than sorry. Once your whereabouts become known to the British Wizarding World, and we are both aware of how that will happen sooner rather than later, it would be best for all of us if it didn't appear that you've gone rogue. I know how little you care for politics, Hermione, but you of all people know just what the wizarding community here is like._

 _I've also heard how advanced your ability to use wandless magic is and I thought you might enjoy speaking with the current leader of the ICW, Babajide Akingbade, who graduated from Uagadou in Africa. As I'm sure you're aware, they are well known for only doing wandless magic and Akingbade has expressed an interest in speaking with you, if you'd like to, that is._

 _Regards,_

 _Kingsley Shacklebolt_

 _Minister of Magic_

Her hands were shaking by the time she finished reading the letter.

While she understood where Kingsley was coming from, this was still an absolutely ridiculous response to the current situation. Hermione had more important things to do than babysit Draco sodding Malfoy!

"I don't like this either, Granger," Malfoy told her, having watched the rage unfold on her expression as she read the letter he'd been instructed to give her. "Doesn't really matter what we think though; the Minister has spoken."

"Well look at that," Hermione mocked. "The Devil must be strapping on his ice skates right now- Draco Malfoy, following orders. Never thought I'd see the day."

Malfoy stood up, glowering down at her. "Shacklebolt might have gotten rid of the Dementors, but that doesn't mean I fancy a stay in Azkaban. And, despite your overly inflated opinion of yourself, what you think of the situation doesn't really matter. I am here until further notice and there's nothing you can do to change that."

Hermione stood as well. "Well now, Malfoy, that sounds like a challenge and you know how much I love those."

"And I've heard failure is character-building. Good on you for continuing to work towards bettering yourself."

Resisting the urge to hex him, Hermione glanced back down at the letter. Damn Kingsley. The man wasn't even trying to be subtle in his manipulation of her, just dangling a treat in front of her and expected her to behave. The fact that it was working made things all the worse. "Do not speak to anyone," Hermione finally growled out. "Do not make contact with anyone in this town, do not start looking into anything yourself- basically, crawl back into whatever hole you're currently staying in and don't come out until I tell you to."

"That's fine by me." He took a step back, smirking at the surprise in her eyes. "Like I said, Granger, I have no real interest in playing the hero here. All I'm doing is trying to survive until I've finished my community service and can return to my privileged life." Turning and walking away, Malfoy couldn't seem to resist one last comment. "If you need any help, don't bother reaching out to me. The war may be over, but my prejudices still run deep, and I still believe to my very core that Gryffindor's are trash."

She considering retorting with a comment about bottom-feeding snakes but ended up just sighing and heading back into town. Thinking back on her housemates' actions over the years, Malfoy wasn't exactly wrong.

 _Your fever dream_

 _Can't you see it getting closer_

 _Just surrender 'cause_

 _You feel the feeling taking over_

" _Hermione."_

Flinching slightly, Hermione stared around her in confusion until she realized the voice was in her head; it was Henry, calling her from his mirror. Ducking behind a shop, she pulled her mirror out of her bag and quickly cast a Muffliato Charm and a Notice-Me-Not. "Henry," she called back, waiting for his face to appear in her mirror.

"Hey!" he cheered, once he was also able to see her clearly.

"Where are you?" Hermione asked. "Why aren't you in school?"

"School got out about an hour ago," Henry told her, giving her a strange look.

"It has?" She pushed up her sleeve and checked her watch, eyes widening when she realized how late it was. "My god, it's already four?! How is that possible?"

"That's not important!" He was almost vibrating in excitement. "I know who the Huntsman is!"

Hermione's eyes widened and she hoped that he took her expression to be one of excitement and not the guilt she was actually feeling. She'd hadn't even thought to tell Henry with all that was going on- Malfoy's appearance had thrown her quite a bit it seemed and it alarmed Hermione to realize that several hours had passed without her noticing. "Who?"

"Sheriff Graham!" Henry crowed. "He's the Huntsman! And he's remembering everything!"

Her stomach dropped. "How do you know that?"

"He came by the house to talk to me; he wanted to look at the book!"

"Is he still there?"

Henry shook his head. "No, he left a bit ago with Emma." Frowning at her, he asked, "Why aren't you more excited? You wanted to find the Huntsman too, right?"

"Of course," Hermione hastened to reassure him. "Absolutely. I'm just worried. If he is remembering, then he has two different versions of himself competing inside his head and that can't be good for him."

"Oh," Henry's brows furrowed in worry. "I didn't think of that. But, Emma's with him so she'll be able to help him till you get there."

Forcing a confident smile on her face, Hermione nodded in agreement. "You're right. I should probably go find them though. I'll make sure to call you afterwards, alright?"

"Cool. Good luck!" Henry beamed at her one last time before disappearing from the mirror.

Shoving it back into her bag, Hermione rubbed her hands over her face and groaned. Graham reaching a level of desperateness that led him to going to a ten-year-old for answers was not a good sign. Gold's words echoed in her mind again. _I suggest you maneuver your sister into giving dear Graham a kiss before he cracks beyond repair._ How much longer did they have before it was too late?

Best not find out.

Pulling her phone out of her pocket, Hermione saw that Emma had messaged her. _Found Graham and wolf. Currently in cemetery._

Hermione had only seen the cemetery in passing, but it would have to do. Closing her eyes, Hermione focused on remembering what the gates leading to the graveyard looked like and disappeared with a crack.

 _It's fire, it's freedom_

 _It's flooding open_

 _It's a preacher in the pulpit_

 _And you'll find devotion_

Appearing outside the cemetery boundaries, Hermione quickly disillusioned herself before striding inside. As she walked, she pondered on why Graham's search for his heart had led him here. Was Regina hiding his heart somewhere inside a graveyard? That would be almost poetic cruelty- hiding the thing Graham needed in order to truly be alive amongst the many dead. Though, were these graves even filled? No one aged or died in Storybrooke, meaning that no one had been buried while living here, and she was unsure if Regina's magic would actually drag the dead from the resting spots just to deposit them in a new spot worlds away. Her nose wrinkled at the idea and she felt a wave of disgust. Just how low had Regina sunk?

Eyes scanning over the headstones, Hermione froze as she locked eyes with a white wolf with one blood-red eye and one black eye. Even though Hermione knew her disillusionment spell was flawless, she also instinctively knew that the wolf could see her. Howling softly, the wolf turned and raced back into the cemetery, Hermione automatically chasing after it.

The Huntsman's wolf was here. Was that a good thing, or a bad one?

A distant clanging reached her ears, up ahead towards where the wolf was leading her, and Hermione pushed herself to run faster. The wolf loped ahead, coming to an abrupt stop near a large crypt. Slowing to a stop, Hermione studied the stone building intently. It looked like a normal mausoleum, aside from the strange symbol at the top of it. It looked either like very inaccurate antlers or very pathetic thorny vines.

She could hear her sister's voice coming from within, along with Graham's. Glancing around, Hermione noted that the wolf had run off somewhere while she was distracted and she perched herself on a nearby tombstone. From the sounds of it, Emma and Graham were currently rummaging around the vault for his heart but weren't having any luck. Minutes passed, the sun finally setting completely and plunging the area into a shadow-cluttered darkness. Twisting around at the sounds of footsteps approaching, Hermione smirked at the sight of the approaching mayor. _Oh,_ _this was going to be fun._

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Regina shouted, once she'd caught sight of the town law enforcement officers invading her family tomb.

Emerging from the crypt, Emma stared back at the Mayor with hard eyes. "What are you doing here?" she returned.

"Bringing flowers to my father's grave like I do every Wednesday," Regina shot back, holding up the bouquet as evidence.

"Don't blame her," Graham interjected, moving to stand protectively in front of Emma. "It's my fault. I wanted to look in there."

"Really?" Regina asked, and her tone set something off in Hermione. This was the falling domino that would start the cascade. She clenched her fists. "Why? What were you looking for?"

"Nothing," he answered hastily, shifting back and forth uncomfortably. "It was… it was nothing." Emma glanced at him, starting to move forward to stand at his side before she hesitated, rocking back on her heels. Hermione watched her sister take a few steps off to the side, expression torn. Flight or fight had kicked in, and she prayed her older sister stood her ground.

Studying him intently, Regina stepped towards him. "You don't look well, dear. Let's take you home." She grabbed his arm, tugging slightly to try and get him away from Emma, who immediately stepped forward to help Graham, but he shook Regina off on his own.

"Regina," he started, "I, I don't want to go home. Not with you."

Regina's expression turned ugly and Hermione's instincts began flaring. _Wrong wrong wrong wrong WRONG. This was wrong._

"Oh?" the Mayor sneered. "But you'll go with her?"

"Hey," Emma interjected. "This is between you two- leave me out of it."

"She's right," Graham agreed, watching Regina warily as the Mayor glared at the blond. "It's between us. And things have to change."

"And I wonder why that is all of a sudden," the brunette snorted derisively.

"It has nothing to do with her," he repeated, a change coming over him. "You know, I've realized that I don't feel anything, Regina. And I know now it's not me- it's you."

"So, you're leaving me for her?" Another piece fell.

"I'm leaving you for me." The expression on Emma's face when she heard Graham say that hurt Hermione- it was the frailest of hopes that maybe everything would be okay.

"Graham," Regina reached out to him again. "You're not thinking straight."

"Actually, for the first time, I am. I'd rather have nothing than settle for less. Nothing is better than what we have. I need to feel something, Regina, and the only way to do that is to give myself a chance." Emma started to smile and when Regina tried to interject again, reached out a hand to brush against his chest, Graham brushed her off. "I'm sorry, it's over."

Regina inhaled audibly, expression pained, but Hermione just smiled as Graham turned to lock eyes with Emma, more emotions flying between them than Hermione could count.

"I don't know what I ever did to you, Miss Swan," Regina started, pulling her sisters attention away from Graham. "To deserve this, to have you keep coming after everything I hold dear."

"I told you," the Sheriff- _or had he become the Huntsman again-_ interrupted, moving to shield Emma again, "it's not her."

"None of this happened until she got her!" Regina almost shouted. "Until they got here!"

"I'm sorry," Emma told her, tone even. "but have you ever stopped to think that maybe the problem isn't with me, but with you?"

Rage was almost rolling off the Mayor at this point and Hermione had to force herself to keep still, to keep quiet. This was Emma's fight, this was her sister finally digging in her heels and making her stand.

"Henry came and found me, found Hermione" her sister started, walking around Graham so that she could stand toe to toe with Regina. "Graham kissed me. Both were miserable. Maybe, Madam Mayor," Emma sneered, "you need to take a good, hard look in the mirror and ask yourself why that is. Why is everyone running away from you?"

Regina suddenly smirked before pulling her arm back and punching Emma in the face. "Regina!" Graham shouted, moving automatically to catch Emma and both fell to the ground. Hermione jumped to her feet, magically reaching out to power one of the stones near the town wards so that she could incapacitate the Mayor, but Emma was back on her feet in a flash and throwing a punch of her own.

Dropping the flowers she held, Regina spun around from the force of the hit and Emma charged forwards, grabbing her by the shoulders and pushing her around and backwards so that she could throw her into the wall of the mausoleum. Hermione stayed where she was, watching the fight play out.

"Stop!" Graham shouted, racing forwards to grab Emma, pulling her struggling form away from Regina. "Stop, stop!"

Touching her lip, Regina gave a short laugh as Emma pulled away from Graham, breathing heavily. As Regina stepped forward to reclaim her flowers, Emma walked towards her, only pausing to hiss one last thing to the Mayor before striding out of the cemetery. Her words seemed to echo behind her for a moment.

" _Not worth it."_

Graham watched her go and Hermione could see the struggle on his face: go after the girl, or continue to search for his missing heart? Regina turned towards him. "Graham," she started, stepping forward. His expression cleared and he started after Emma.

Hermione beamed, so hopeful that her sister might finally get the love she deserved, but that smile faded at the wrath rolling off of the Mayor as she watched her former lover walk away. Regina wasn't going to just let him walk away, Hermione was sure of that, and as the Mayor turned to walk into the crypt, Hermione hurried in ahead of her, wondering just what it was Regina was hiding away in its stone walls.

 _There's something breaking_

 _At the brick of every wall_

 _Holding all that you know_

 _So tell me do you wanna go?_

Watching from the far corner of the room as Regina pulled the doors closed behind her, Hermione held her breath as the older woman gently set the flowers, calla lilies, on top of the grave within, pausing for a moment to rest a hand softly on the nameplate. Hermione hadn't gotten the chance to see what was written on there but, with the care she was using, Hermione guessed that it was either her father or Daniel's- the only two people Regina had ever cared about.

Finally pulling away, Regina placed both hands on the side of the stone coffin and began to push. With a small grunt of effort, she finally managed to shove it all the way to the side, revealing a staircase leading directly underneath the crypt. Regina marched down the stairs, Hermione following close behind her.

It was dark underground, the only light a soft blue color coming from a wall directly in front of the stairs. Regina came to stop right in front of it, staring at the many squares mounted onto it. It wasn't until she reached out and seemingly pulled one out at random that Hermione realized that the squares were boxes built into the wall. Drawing it all the way out, Regina removed a small wooden chest.

Stepping back from the wall, she opened the chest and Hermione edged closer to see what was inside. Reaching a hand inside, Hermione watched as Regina pulled out-

 _Oh god._

It was a heart. An actual heart. Clutched in the Mayor's hand was a clear, deep red, pulsing _heart._ Regina brought it up, staring intently at it, before she began to squeeze.

"No!" Hermione shrieked and her magic responded automatically.

As Regina spun around in surprise, her grip loosening slightly on the heart in her hand, Hermione's magic slammed into her, knocking her back into the wall and she lunged forward, pulling the heart out of Regina's hands and cupping it in her own, holding it close to her chest. It pulsed in her hands and the feeling terrified her.

Staring around her blankly in stunned surprise, Regina searched for who attacked her. With a wave of her hand, Hermione knocked the woman unconscious.

 _Oh god, oh god, oh god, oh god, oh god._

 _What was she supposed to do now?_

 _Where it's covered in_

 _All the colored lights_

 _Where the runaways are_

 _Running the night_

Levitating Regina back up the stairs and out of the vault, not bothering to make sure the ride was a smooth one for the Evil Queen, Hermione quickly erased her memories of last few minutes before leaving her lying under a nearby tree as she warded the vault tightly against intruders and apparated for the Sheriff's Station, praying that Graham would be there.

Hurrying into the station after making sure that her invisibility spell was still in place, Hermione paused by the door leading into the main room and watched at the Sheriff pulled away from her sister, beaming down at her. "You're incredible," he whispered to her and Emma blushed. Hermione, despite the seriousness of their current predicament, had to desperately smother her urge to squeal at their adorableness.

"You're probably still delirious from the fever."

"No, I'm not." Graham took a breath. "You are the best thing to ever happen to me. So, thank you, Emma Swan. Thank you for saving me."

"I didn't save you," her sister softly disagreed. "You saved yourself."

"We'll have to agree to disagree," he whispered to her, leaning down to kiss her again.

Hermione stared at the two of them in awe, still clutching Graham's heart in her hands. She could feel the love he felt emanating from it and even though it was dulled slightly since he was feeling it without his heart, it was still the most powerful thing Hermione had ever felt. Was this what True Love felt like?

The couple pulled slightly away from each other, breathing heavily as Graham pressed his forehead to Emma's. "Go out with me?"

Emma beamed up at him. "Now?"

Laughing softly, Graham wrapped his arms more tightly around her. "Tomorrow. Tonight, you're going to go home, recover from wiping the floor with Regina, and then tomorrow after work I am going to take you out and prove to you that you're not wrong to take a chance on me."

If it was at all possible, Emma's smile seemed to grow even brighter. "Sounds like a plan to me." She pulled away from him, clutching his hand in her own. "We'll have to back to Regina's house though- our cars are still parked there."

Graham groaned. "I say we go tomorrow. Nothing's going to happen if we wait a night to get them back."

"You sure about that? Regina might use the time to declare her street a no-parking zone and have them towed."

"I'm sure," he chuckled, bringing Emma's hand to his lips and gently kissing the back of it. Hermione prayed that he would send her sister away so that she could speak with him in private. "I just need to finish up some paperwork before I leave. Think you can get home by yourself? I'd rather not have your sister come after me before I get the chance to state my intentions towards you to her."

Emma raised an eyebrow, expression playful. "Shouldn't you be worrying about doing that with my parents, not my sister?"

"Normally yes, but in this instance, I think your sister will be the tougher nut to crack here. Can't say for sure though, since I haven't formally met your parents."

"You've got good instincts there because Hermione will definitely be worse than facing our parents."

"Something to look forward to then," he murmured, continuing to stare at Emma as if she was the only light left in the world.

Blushing again, Emma started pulling away. "I should head out…"

Even though it was Graham's suggestion for her to go, a flash of worry crossed his face at her words. "Promise me you won't change your mind tonight," he pleaded and a look of relief crossed Emma's face. Hermione realized that she was just as worried about Graham changing his mind as he was about her.

"I promise," she vowed, stepping forward to give him another quick kiss before grabbing her red leather jacket and heading out the door, pausing just long enough to give a Graham one last pleased, hopeful look before leaving.

 _Impossible comes true_

 _It's taking over you_

 _Oh, this is_

 _The greatest show_

As Graham stared longingly after her sister, Hermione stared down at his heart. He clearly wanted to go with Emma, to spend more time with her, but he'd sent her away. He'd sent her away, just as Hermione had hoped he would. Was simply holding his heart enough for her to be able to control his actions? That was a terrifying thought. To be able to exert her will over him without even thinking about it was an uncomfortable prospect. She needed to give him his heart back and she needed to do it now.

Dropping the spell around her, Hermione stepped forward and Graham's eyes snapped to her. "Hermione?" he asked, confused as to where she had come from.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I didn't mean to…"

He frowned at her before his eyes snapped to her hands and widened in shock. "Is that…" he whispered. "Is that my heart?"

"I wanted Emma to leave so that I could give this back to you, but I promise that I didn't mean to force you to do something you didn't want to do!" Hermione hastily started to explain, tripping over her words in her rush to reassure him that she wasn't trying to control him like Regina had.

Graham seemed to have not heard her. "You found my heart? How? Where?"

"The cemetery," she answered softly, stepping forward and holding it out to him. "I was hiding and followed Regina into her vault and took this from her. You were right, she had hidden her vault of hearts within the mausoleum, along with an assortment of other things."

He locked eyes with her again. "You have magic."

"I do. Not your kind of magic though; this world has its own."

"Does Emma know?"

"Of course, she's my sister. She's always known about magic. As I said though, my magic is different from that used in your world. For example, we can't steal someone's heart out their chest. I mean honestly, who came up with such a thing? Who thought, 'I wonder if I can create a way to literally hold someone's lives in the palm of my hand? And you know what else would also be neat? If that thing contained all of their emotions and free will so that I can make them my soulless puppet.' Really, this is just all so unnecessary."

Shifting uncomfortably, Graham asked, "What do you plan to do with my heart?"

Hermione blinked at him, lightly shaking the arm still extended out towards him. "I'm planning on giving it to you because it's honestly unsettling to carry."

"Happy to hear it." Graham relaxed, before giving her a considering look. "It would probably just be best if you put it back."

Gaping at him, Hermione began to splutter, "Put it back?! Why on earth would you want Regina to continue to have control of you?! When I took this from her, she was about it crush it!"

"No, no," he hastily corrected her. "I meant, put it back in my chest."

"Oh." Hermione relaxed slightly, before frowning again and pulling his heart back towards her so that she could study it. "How exactly does one go about returning a heart to its proper place?"

Graham shrugged. "I'm not sure. Regina was more about stealing hearts and less about returning them. I think you just… shove it back in?"

Her jaw dropped. "I just shove it back in?!" she almost shrieked. "Brilliant advice right there. 'Shove it back in, hope for the best'. Honestly, what is wrong with you people?! I'm holding a very fragile organ that could be crushed very easily, killing you in an instant if I'm understanding correctly, and you want me to just what, aim for the left side of your chest and hope for the best?"

"Calm down," he tried to sooth her.

"Calm down? Calm down?! I'M HOLDING YOUR HEART, GRAHAM. IT'S BEATING AND EVERYTHING. IT'S LIKE A HORROR MOVIE."

Both of their heads turned as a shuffling noise came from the doorway. "My, you both seem to be having a bit of trouble tonight," Rumpelstiltskin commented, glancing between the Sheriff and Hermione before pointedly looking at the heart clutched in her hands. "I could sense your desperation from a mile away."

"Oh, thank God," Hermione sighed. "I don't know what to do here, you have to help me. How do you return a heart to a chest?"

The look Hermione gave him then reminded Rumpelstiltskin of a small child, the child she once was, one who was scared and desperate for an adult to make it better. He wondered at what point it was that she lost that belief in the adults around her, when she came to the realization that the only one who would be able to help her was herself.

"Hermione," Graham started, staring at Gold in confusion. "Does he…?"

"Don't worry, Huntsman, I'm perfectly aware of the situation. And seeing as how you have had all your memories returned to you with your mind still intact, I suppose congratulations are in order."

"Congratulations?" the other man echoed, still bewildered.

"Yes, congratulations. After all, it's not every day one finds their True Love."

The witch rolled her eyes, unamused at the way the imp was batting the Huntsman around. "When you kissed Emma, your memories started coming back, right?" Graham nodded, eyes wide, and Hermione continued. "They didn't come back completely though because you kissed her- it wasn't a mutual kiss. It was only because she felt something for you at all that anything happened at all. Once she returned your kiss, your memories returned entirely. True Love's kiss broke your curse, sort of. Not everyone's curse, because you two still need to date and get to know one another, actually fall in love and all that, but it's a step in the right direction."

The expression on Graham's face… that look of awe was one Hermione would always remember and she wished she had a Pensive so that she could show Emma that look when she inevitably started to doubt whether or not the Sheriff could truly love her. "Emma loves me?"

Hermione smiled gently. "She will, one day soon. But you cannot truly love her unless this," she held up his heart, "is returned back to where it belongs."

"You've been without your heart for 30 years, Huntsman," Gold stated, stepping forward. "Now, how about we set out to change that?"

 _Don't fight it_

 _It's coming for you_

 _Running at ya_

 _It's only this moment_

 _Don't care what comes after_

"No," Hermione stated.

"Yes," Rumpelstiltskin retorted.

"That doesn't make any sense!"

"It's magic, dearie, it doesn't have to make sense."

"You're trying to tell me that I just need to take this very fragile, almost glass-like, heart and just abruptly shove it into Graham's rock-hard chest?"

The Sheriff blushed. "It's alright, Hermione, I trust you."

"That is nice to know, but not really the issue here, Graham."

"Look," interrupted Rumpelstiltskin, "out of the two of us, who actually has the experience when it comes to dealing with removed hearts?"

Hermione snorted. "I'm well aware of your expertise when it comes to removing hearts, but how good are you when it comes to putting them back in?"

"I have enough."

"Then you should be doing this," she hissed. "I should be standing in the corner, being emotionally supportive."

"Only someone with magic is able to put it back," he sang. "And as you're well aware, you're the only one magical here."

Pausing, Hermione considered how that statement was technically inaccurate but that fact was irrelevant when considering that the other magical being was Malfoy. "Just pushing it in sounds wrong," she whined.

"Yet, that's how many things work in the world," Rumpelstiltskin quipped, grinning nastily as the Huntsman turned an even deeper shade of red. "I believe, as the woman, it's your job to just grin and bear it."

"No, sweetie, that's for your world, not mine." Hermione marched over to Graham, ignoring the former Dark One's laughter, and stopped a foot in front of him. "Alright," she sighed. "Let's get this over with." She pulled her hand back, preparing to try and return her sister's True Love's heart to his chest. Pausing one last time, Hermione locked eyes with Graham's and vowed, "If this kills you, I promise that Gold will be joining you in the afterlife shortly after."

Graham gave her a crooked grin. "You still haven't told me who he actually is."

"I haven't, have I? He's Rumpelstiltskin." And then she shoved his heart into his chest as he stared at them in horror.

Afterwards, they all stood frozen for a moment, waiting to see if Graham was going to spontaneously drop dead. When he continued to keep breathing, and staring at them in shock, Hermione gave a relieved, hysterical giggle. "It worked!"

"I told you so," Rumpelstiltskin smirked at her.

"You trusted my heart with the Dark One?!"

 _It's blinding outshining_

 _Anything that you know_

 _Just surrender 'cause you're calling_

 _And you wanna go_

Sending the Huntsman off with his newly returned heart and promising to visit the pawnshop the following day with Henry if schedules allowed, Hermione sent the two men off with a smile. As soon as they were out of sight though, she spun around and disappeared with a crack, reappearing in the upstairs hallway of Granny's Inn.

Moments later, one of the doors opened and Malfoy stepped out in the hall in a shirt and Slytherin green pajama pants, glaring at her. "Still don't know how to be subtle, do you, Granger?"

Staring at him stonily for a moment, Hermione suddenly gave him a smile that chilled him to the bones. Reaching out to grab a fistful of his shirt-front, she apparated them out of the inn without warning and into Regina's vault. Malfoy stumbled away from her as soon as they landed. "What the bloody hell was that for?" he cried.

Holding her arms out wide, Hermione loudly proclaimed, "Behold!"

Glancing at the stone room around them, Malfoy frowned. "What exactly am I supposed to be beholding?"

"Why don't you open one of those panels and find out?" Hermione leaned against the wall and watched as Malfoy first eyed her suspiciously before turning to give the paneled wall across from them a distrustful look.

"This is going to be something disgusting, isn't it?"

"That's for me to know and you to find out."

Slowly walking over, Malfoy pulled out his wand and started casting a multitude of detection spells, much to Hermione's annoyance. After all, if she was going to kill him, it wouldn't be through a cursed object- that was his cowardly style, not hers. Finally, once he had seemingly tried everything he could think of, Malfoy finally gave in and moved to stand directly in front of the wall, reaching out and tugging on one of the wooden squares. It opened easily for him, revealing another wooden chest, and Hermione raised an eyebrow in challenge at him when he turned back to look at her.

With a groan, Malfoy pulled open the lid and peered inside before rearing back slightly. "Merlin's sake, Granger, it's a heart! Ugh, and it's beating and everything. Who the bloody hell came up with this?!" Stepping away from the wall he spun around the room, staring at all the paneled walls. "Do all of these have hearts in them?" he inquired, voice horrified.

"I can't say for sure since I haven't checked, but most likely."

"Merlin, that's horrifying. The Dark Lord literally lived in my home with a giant snake that ate his victims after he was done torturing them and this is somehow worse than that." His fingers tightened on his wand. "Is this her doing? The Mayor that Shacklebolt is so concerned about?"

Hermione nodded, her amusement at Malfoy's horror fading quickly. "She did this before they arrived here but yes, Regina ripped these hearts out of people and used them to control their owners. It's similar to the Imperious curse, except it's far more powerful and you can't throw it off. And if the person holding your heart starts squeezing, you feel immense pain. If they fully crush it, you'll die. I followed her in here tonight and stole back the heart of the Sheriff before she could crush it and kill him."

Malfoy had gone pale. "How much more powerful?"

"I was holding Graham, the Sheriff's, heart thinking how I needed him to make my sister leave so I could return his heart to him, and then he did. I didn't need to think about controlling him, focus on his heart while reaching for his mind, any of the things we do while casting the Imperious curse- I thought about something and he did it."

"Are you sure it wasn't just a coincidence?" She stared him down. "Yeah, no, me neither."

"Graham still had some freedom- that's another difference from the Imperious curse, they're still self-aware and know their own thoughts and beliefs. They are still able to try and rebel against the person holding their heart, as long as they're not trying to go against direct orders and no one is physically holding their heart at that moment."

Leaning against a stone wall, Malfoy ran a hand through his hair. "That makes it so much worse. At least while you're under the Imperious Curse, you don't have to think about how what you're doing is wrong or loathe yourself for your actions. If you're right about how controlling someone with their… heart works, then that means they're basically a hostage in their own body. They have to see and hear everything, have to experience the horror of what they've done while they're acting without being able to do anything about it."

She wondered how much time Malfoy had spent under the Imperious Curse. "It does add a new level of cruelty to the situation."

Seeming to hesitate for a moment, Malfoy finally asked, "What was the Sheriff's relationship with Regina?"

"Why are you asking?" Her tone was sharp, demanding.

"Because you said your arrival here caused him to fight against the Mayor enough that she decided to crush his heart and kill him. If it was an emotionless arrangement, she would likely have killed him earlier. Altogether, doesn't seem like it was the most professional of relationships."

Hermione could see his point and reluctantly answered, "They were in a casual, physical relationship."

"I was afraid of that." He pinned her to the spot with hard, gray eyes. "You realize that he couldn't actually give his consent, right? From what you've said, he had to do whatever she wanted."

It was Hermione's turn to go pale, mind flashing back to a line from the book. _Guards… take him to my bedchamber._ Her stomach rolled and she wanted to vomit. "Oh god," she breathed. "It's been 30 years…"

Malfoy looked just as disgusted as she felt. "Why didn't you tell the Minister about this place?"

"I just found it tonight. Regina got into a bit of a row with my sister and the Sheriff and came down here afterwards. I followed her, expecting to find a cache of magical objects or something, but instead I found her holding the Sheriff's heart and preparing to crush it."

Rubbing his hands over his face, Malfoy blearily asked, "Gods, Granger, what have you gotten yourself into now?"

"It's another war, Draco," she told him softly. "And I intend it end it the only way I can."

He stared at her for a moment before closing his eyes and sighing. "You've changed, Granger. Whatever happened to being a bleeding-heart Gryffindor?"

"It was bled out of me on your drawing room floor."

Malfoy's eyes snapped open. "It's more than that. What happened to you?"

"You did," she spat, burning him with her gaze. "I am what you made me! What all of Wizarding Britain made me!"

"And there's no one around to stop you, right? No one around to keep you in line, to make sure you check yourself?"

Shifting her stance, Hermione slid her hands into her jacket pockets. "No. You see, it's taken me all this time to realize that I'm not just a survivor- I'm a winner."

"Well, look at you now. Bookworm Granger is all grown up and playing the tragic hero. We can't all be Potter though."

Hermione tensed at the sound of her first friend's name. "What do you mean by that?"

"I mean, Hermione, that the rest of us don't have the luxury of being able to bounce between magics, between the Dark and the Light, without consequences and you better watch yourself because, once you make a choice, it's the only one you get. You make the wrong one, and there won't be a merciful Hermione Granger coming to save you."

 _We light it up_

 _We won't come down_

 _And the sun can't stop us now_

 _Watching it come true_

 _It's taking over you_

 _Oh, this is the greatest show_

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 **Please leave a review on your way out!**


	10. Chapter 10

**(A/N): So... how's it going? Lol, I'm really sorry about the wait. Life has been a bit rough the past few weeks but things are finally sorting themselves out. I hope.**

 **Not gonna lie, it might still be another wait for the next chapter. It's not because I'm not actively working on this story- the content of the upcoming chapters is just throwing me off a bit. We're going to be dealing some mental health stuff coming up because, as most of you have noticed, Hermione has some issues she needs to work through. This is a very important topic to me, so I need to be confident in the way I'm portraying things. I've seen it done before where authors just go "here's a serious issue" and then do a time jump or something and have the character totally over it. That won't be happening here. There are some serious issues that are going to be discussed and I need to do this right. So, apologies in advance for whatever wait there might be but I hope you can understand where I'm coming from.**

 **Shoutouts to gottaloveva, reesefrowiss, vamp1987, jedijeff, nbymlsnrf, Belieber Twihard, KateKat1992, hedesmer, LittleAngel2292, Nanyin, kcinara, Hearteyesmf, FrumiousBandersnatch10, Elizabeth, ndavis77, Elle Ryder, The Dark One Rising, Another Random Human, 1991, ReadLikeHermione, NicoleR85, AugustRush, fringeperson, Najada, QueenAzulaThinksYourWorthless, tayaboo72, bookworm2750, RHatch89, and Guests! You are all beautiful rays of sunshine and never let yourself think otherwise!**

 **I'm really glad you all loved the last chapter and that you're glad Graham survived! Things are definitely changing now in the OUAT universe.**

 **Special shout out to the angel that is fringeperson for all of her help and support. I'm so thankful to have her as a friend.**

 **Special thanks also needs to go to the wonderful FrumiousBandersnatch10 for all her assistance! She has been invaluable in my characterization process and I'm so thankful she's willing to talk to me about all this.**

 **Song lyrics for this chapter are from "Control" by Halsey. This song really spoke to me about where Hermione is emotionally and mentally.**

 **Hope you all had a great weekend! Enjoy!**

* * *

 _They send me away to find them a fortune  
A chest filled with diamonds and gold  
The house was awake, the shadows and monsters  
The hallways, they echoed and groaned_

Hermione slowly walked through the front door, unsure if she was ready to face her sister so soon. Her conversation with Draco was still circling around in her head, bringing up so many questions but very few answers.

"Hey!" Emma greeted, voice coming from the kitchen and Hermione sighed, shoving yet more unpleasant thoughts behind her shields, to be considered at a later time.

Walking into the kitchen and sitting on a stool by the counter, she forced a small smile onto her face as she greeted Emma. "Hello. So, I take it things worked out on your end with Graham."

Emma set a mug of hot cocoa in front of her younger sister, slipping into the seat next to her. "It did. But, considering I could feel you at the station with us earlier, you already knew that."

Eyes slipping closed in exhausted frustration, Hermione tucked her chin into her chest. "I'd hoped you didn't notice."

"Guess your hopes weren't met," Emma quipped. Hermione's eyes snapped open when she felt Emma's hand close over one of her own, squeezing gently. "Talk to me."

"Please don't," Hermione quietly begged, filled with self-loathing. There went her promise to never be put into another position where she'd be forced to beg for something. Still though, she wasn't ready, _she wasn't prepared enough,_ to tell Emma just what was going on.

What would her sister think, if she knew how truthful Graham had been earlier? _She has my heart, Emma… I can't feel anything…_

How would her sister react if she knew where Hermione had found Regina earlier? How violent would things become if she learned just what Regina had planned for the Sheriff if Hermione hadn't intervened?

"I can't, Emma. Not yet. So please… I just…"

Emma's arms were wrapped around her a heartbeat later. "It's okay, Hermione. Everything's okay, you're okay. I've got you."

Hermione slowly lifted her arms and hugged her sister back, hiding her face in Emma's shoulder for a moment. How could she be so sure that everything would be alright when Hermione felt like she might never be okay again?

 _I sat alone, in bed till the morning  
I'm crying, "They're coming for me"  
And I tried to hold these secrets inside me  
My mind's like a deadly disease_

Hours later, Emma stood in the doorway to Hermione's room and watched her baby sister's restless sleep.

Something was wrong with Hermione, had been wrong for a while now, but Emma had no idea how to help her. Ever since Hermione had been born, since the moment their mother had placed her in Emma's arms with a gentle reminder to watch her head, it had been Emma's job to keep her safe. Emma had made a promise the day Hermione was born that she would always protect her and make sure that she was never hurt the way Emma had been.

And Emma had failed her.

Her sister had suffered, had been nearly killed time and time again before being captured and tortured by a deranged serial killer, and where had Emma been during that time? Half a world away in her cushy apartment, safe and sound.

Hermione would never know how sorry she was for that. How sorry she was for failing her, for not being a better protector, for being a terrible big sister. Standing there, looking at the lines on her sister's face, Emma was forced to face the fact that Hermione had lost some of herself over the last few years, had some pieces of herself torn out and left scattered around Britain. Hermione wasn't whole anymore and it was painful watching her sister try and hide that fact from her.

 _No more,_ Emma vowed to herself, turning away from the room and walking down the hall.

No more would her sister pay the price for other people's mistakes.

No more would either of them have to suffer because of someone else's choices.

No more would Hermione feel like she had to fight the world alone.

Emma would rip the world apart piece by piece if that was what it took to keep Hermione safe. Even if the biggest threat at the moment was coming from Hermione herself.

Closing her bedroom door behind her, Emma pulled her phone out of her pocket and typed in the number she must have called hundreds of times in the past year. Hitting the green call button, she sank down onto the edge of her bed and sent up a silent prayer to whatever greater power there might be. She may not be sure if she actually believed in any ultimate force crap, but it couldn't hurt right then.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Thomas, it's Emma. I need your help."

 _No more._

 _I'm bigger than my body  
I'm colder than this home  
I'm meaner than my demons  
I'm bigger than these bones_

"I can't believe I'm meeting Rumpelstiltskin!" Henry cheered, bouncing down the street.

Hermione smiled, reaching out to gently run her fingers through his hair. "He's excited to speak with you as well."

Henry turned back to look at her with huge eyes. "I should have known that Mr. Gold was Rumpelstiltskin. He's the most powerful man in town."

"Don't be too hard on yourself- he's very good at staying below the radar."

"His name is Gold though! And Rumpelstiltskin spins gold!"

She laughed. "Yes, the curse wasn't very creative when it came to names, was it?"

Turning pensive next to her, Henry asked, "Do you think the Evil Queen was the one who decided things like names or jobs? Can magic really do stuff like that? I thought it just brought people here- changing names and jobs and everything seems more person-like, you know?"

Surprised by his insightfulness, Hermione took a moment to think before answering. "I don't think so. For everyone's names and professions, they're ones that could easily be found in this world. Regina would have had no idea how things were set in this world, so she wouldn't have been able to make those kinds of decisions. For example, Snow White is most likely not an odd name in the Enchanted Forest, but it would be considered strange here, hence the change to Mary Margaret. The curse was made to be adaptable, to respond to her wishes on certain things, but it was also set to ensure that everyone brought here was slotted into a proper position in this world."

Reaching out, Henry slid his hand into Hermione's. "Doesn't that mean that the curse was able to just do things on its own? Like it was alive and stuff? Because it would need to be able to think to do all that."

Hermione bit her lip. "I'm honestly not sure, Henry. Magic is certainly a force of its own at times, but I'm not sure if the extent of the curse means that it had any sort of mind of its own. After all, just look at what computers are capable of. It might be easier for you to think of the curse as a computer program, slotting each citizen into a corresponding role that could fit who they were in the Forest. The dwarf Doc is a pharmacist, Jiminy Cricket is a therapist, and so on and so forth."

"That makes sense." The closer they got to the shop, the tighter Henry's grip grew.

Pulling him to a stop when they were a shop away from Gold's, Hermione knelt down so they were eye level. "Henry, what's wrong? What are you thinking?"

He stared down at his shoes. "The book that says Rumpelstiltskin in the Dark One. He's a villain… like the Evil Queen. What if…"

Reaching out, Hermione placed a finger under his chin and tilted his face back up so that she could meet his gaze. "Do you trust me?"

Blinking at her in confusion, Henry hastily answered, "Of course!"

"Then trust that I would never knowingly bring you somewhere that isn't safe for you. Remember what I've told you before: we can't judge anyone until we get to know them for ourselves. Forget everything that the book has told you about who is good and who is bad and find out for yourself what kind of person Rumpelstiltskin is."

"He gave the Evil Queen the curse though! And casting the curse is what made you believe the Queen was evil so how come Gold isn't even though he's the one who gave it to her?"

Hermione sighed. "I'm not going to try and sway you one way or the other about Rumpelstiltskin. Whether or not you decide to try and trust him, that's up to you. You have to do what you think is right, Henry. All I can do right now is promise you that nothing will happen to you while I'm here, alright?"

Henry stared up at her, eyes a bit lost. "But… if you don't tell me, how will I know whether or not he's good?"

Pulling him into a hug, Hermione whispered, "Have faith, Henry, and believe in yourself. Your instincts have gotten you this far, haven't they?"

"But what if I'm wrong?"

"Then you'll learn from your mistake and will make sure not it doesn't happen again."

 _And all the kids cried out,_

 _"Please stop, you're scaring me"  
I can't help this awful energy  
God damn right, you should be scared of me  
Who is in control?_

The bell jingled as they walked through the front door of the shop and Gold looked up from one of his many books and greeted them with a friendly smile. "Good day to you, Miss Granger, Mr. Mills."

"Hello," Hermione returned, smiling at the older man as she rested her hand on Henry's still-tense shoulder.

"Hi," Henry muttered.

Gold seemed to understand Henry's hesitancy and didn't move out from behind the counter. "How is Miss Swan and the Sheriff?" he asked Hermione. "All is well, I hope."

"As well it can be, considering circumstances." Hermione shrugged. "Graham was picking up my sister for their first date when Henry and I were leaving. Has the Mayor been by to see you?" Henry eyes snapped up to look at her but Hermione stayed focused on Gold. She knew he wouldn't tell her everything with Henry standing right there, but he'd tell her enough.

"She did," Gold nodded. "Came in a few hours ago in quite a state. Something seems to have happened to her family mausoleum and she was hoping I might have information about it."

"Shame," Hermione drawled. "Perhaps we should take a look for ourselves later, see what's what."

"Perhaps," he smirked. Looking back at Henry, Gold started, "So, it seems we have you to thank for all the changes happening in our little town."

Henry hesitated for a moment before finally seeming to recover his courage and moved away from his aunt's side. "I didn't do anything- it's all Emma and Hermione."

"Ah, but without you, they never would have found their way to Storybrooke, would they? For every hero, there is a guiding hand leading them where they need to go."

Perking up, Henry asked, "Like with Gandalf and Bilbo Baggins? Mary Margaret has been reading _The Hobbit_ to us and Gandalf helps lead Bilbo on their quest to the Lonely Mountain but he's not actually the hero in the book."

"Exactly," Gold praised, leaning forward slightly. "Emma may be the Savior, but don't discount your role in all this. Without you, the heroes will never get to where they need to go."

The older man's casual mention of the curse seemed to be the signal that Henry needed to feel comfortable enough to ask the questions that had he had been obsessing over for months. "Why did it have to be Emma? There are other True Love couples in the book, why couldn't one of them have had the baby that would break the curse?"

Hermione slipped past Henry and perched herself on a countertop, smirking slightly when she was given a stern look by the shop owner. "Yes, Rumple, inquiring minds want to know." Her smile slipped away at the flash of pain in his eyes and Hermione frantically tried to figure out what she'd said. _How could she have already messed up?_

Rumpelstiltskin frowned at the girl, recovery quickly from the memory of Belle calling him that and wondered what was going on with her. There was clearly something wrong, something she was trying to hide. "Unfortunately, Henry, sometimes things just happen. It's all about timing, you know- only a product of True Love would have the power to break such a powerful curse but not all of those children born to a True Love couple actually have the power needed to break a curse. Every curse has to have a loophole though, a way to break them. Regina's focus was on Snow White and Prince Charming, a True Love couple expecting their first child, and said child was destined to be very powerful. Therefore, magic deemed her as the most likely person to be able to break the Dark Curse and Emma was cast into the role of savior."

Henry slowly nodded, brow furrowed as he processed what he'd been told, but Hermione gave Rumpelstiltskin a look that clearly demonstrated her disbelief in his explanation. However, she wasn't going to question him yet, not while Henry was still in the room.

"Could someone else break the curse?" Henry asked, glancing over at Hermione.

"Unfortunately not," Gold sighed. "It has to be Emma."

"How are we going to manage that?" Henry groaned, resting his elbows on the glass counter in front of Gold and placing his chin in his hands. "She believes in magic, but not in the curse and it's _stupid_."

"Language, Henry," Hermione automatically scolded.

"But it's not even a bad word!" Henry protested, frowning at her.

Blinking at him, Hermione shook her head slightly. "You're right, it's not. Sorry, was a bit distracted."

"Distracted by what?" Gold asked, still studying her.

Pausing for a moment, Hermione finally sighed and decided to tell them some of what had happened the day before. "I had a visitor yesterday, someone from my world."

"The blond?" Henry immediately asked.

Hermione groaned. "Ruby?"

"Of course," Rumpelstiltskin answered instead of Henry. "I'm sure the entire town knows by now about the blond, British, visitor staying in the inn who seems well-acquainted with you."

"Ugh," she shuddered. "Is she telling everyone we're together? Because that would be revolting."

Henry and Gold shared a glance before her nephew asked, "Who is he? How do you know him?"

She sighed. "His name is Draco Malfoy. He's someone I attended school with. We… weren't friends. However, the Minister of Magic in Britain decided that it would be best to send me some assistance, regardless of my own thoughts on the idea, and Malfoy was deemed the best choice."

"Is he as powerful as you?" Rumpelstiltskin asked, eyes narrowed in thought.

"No," Hermione snorted. "Not even close. He is, however, from a rather well-to-do family. They were on the wrong side of the war, which decreased the amount of influence they have now, but the Malfoy's still hold some sway and now Draco is trying to show that they've turned a new leaf."

"What does that mean?" Henry asked. "Being 'on the wrong side of the war'? Was he a villain? And is 'Minister' the British name for the President?" Hermione was struck again by how truly innocent Henry was.

"No, Henry," she told him, smiling softly at him, desperate to preserve his easy view of the world but knowing she couldn't do so forever. "It just means that his parents made some poor decisions and Draco had deal with the consequences of them. He's not evil, just ignorant. And yes, the Minister position is somewhat similar to the American President- though there are some key differences."

"How long will he be here?" interrupted Rumpelstiltskin. He knew there was more to this then Hermione was telling, something she was trying to keep from Henry. Not that he could blame her- a child had no business being involved in war.

Hermione shrugged. "As long as Kingsley, the Minister, deems it necessary. Seems my personal opinion doesn't hold much sway here." And didn't that just sting. Hermione had proved herself more than capable during the war, had gotten herself and the boys through alive and intact, yet Kingsley still thought it was necessary to send a minder to look after her.

Her magic started to hum, sending a shudder down her spine. Regina had just left her office.

Regina had terrible timing.

"Something wrong?" Gold asked, having seen Hermione tense.

"Not exactly," she hedged. "But there is something I need to go deal with."

The crushed look on Henry's face nearly made her rethink her plans. "We have to leave? But we just got here!"

"I have to leave," Hermione started slowly. "I see no reason why you have to leave yet though, as long as you're both alright with it."

Henry glanced shyly over at the pawnshop owner. "If it's okay with you…"

Gold gave him a small but genuine smile. "You're more than welcome to stay as long as you'd like."

"Lovely." Hermione hopped of the counter, giving Rumpelstiltskin a grateful smile before kissing Henry's forehead lightly. "Behave yourselves."

The two males watched as she strode out of the shop before turning to stare at one another again.

"So…" Henry started, casting about for something to say. "You're pretty old, right?"

 _I paced around for hours on empty  
I jumped at the slightest of sounds  
And I couldn't stand the person inside me  
I turned all the mirrors around_

Ducking into an alleyway, Hermione disillusioned herself and apparated to the edge of town. Before she had gone to pick up Henry, she had made a stop at the Mayor's office to look over her schedule for the day. When she saw that Regina was to visit the mining tunnels to check on the progress the construction workers were making on closing them, Hermione realized that this was going to be her best chance.

She had learned from her mistakes with Rita Skeeter and Dolores Umbridge. Hermione had left them alive and that choice had caused her nothing but pain and suffering. It also did not help that they knew she was the one responsible for their pain and therefore they did their best to repay her in kind. She would be smarter this time around.

Leaning against a tree, Hermione waited patiently for Regina to arrive. Her calendar had said she would be stopping here at 4:00pm before going to pick up Henry at his therapy appointment- an appointment that Archie had called Regina's office to inform her would need to reschedule. Hermione had deleted the message before Regina could hear it and had picked Henry up herself.

At two minutes before the hour, nearly 20 minutes after Hermione had arrived, Regina's car pulled into the gravel lot right outside the opening into the mine shaft. Climbing out of her car, Regina looked around the area with pursed lips and, as she started walking towards the large 'Danger' sign, pulled out her phone and placed a call.

 _I'm bigger than my body  
I'm colder than this home  
I'm meaner than my demons  
I'm bigger than these bones_

The bell announcing another person entering the shop halted the increasingly-easy conversation between Gold and Henry. "Are you Mr. Gold?"

Studying the blond man who had entered his shop with a small sneer curling at the edges of his lips, Gold answered, "Indeed I am. And I assume you must be Draco Malfoy."

Draco huffed. "Seems news really does travel quickly in a small town."

Gold smirked. "Oh, I didn't learn about you from young Miss Lucas, though she is quite the gossip. No, I heard all about you from Miss Granger. I'm sure it wouldn't surprise you to hear that there's no love lost there."

Glancing back and forth between the two men, Henry remembered promising Hermione that he wouldn't go near any new people who came into town. But, Hermione had left him with Gold because she thought he could be trusted and if Gold wasn't making him leave then it was probably fine to stay put. "How do you know Hermione?" Henry asked Draco.

"We went to school together," Draco sighed. He was already regretting coming here but it was necessary.

"What did Mr. Gold mean when he said that there's no love lost?"

"It means that your aunt and Mr. Malfoy don't get along," Gold answered.

"Why didn't she like you?" Henry asked the blond.

"I was a bullying git," Draco answered easily.

Henry frowned. He wasn't sure what that second word meant, but he was definitely familiar with the first. "You bullied her? Why?"

"Because," the blond sighed. "I was an arrogant little toad, according to your dear aunt, and she's a swotty little know-it-all."

Gold's fingers clenched around his cane as he remembered another young woman very similar to Hermione who also had a desperate love of learning. "And why would your government send you to help her?"

Draco stared out the window, jaw clenched. "Because she saved my life," he finally admitted.

"During the war?" Henry asked, studying the wizard intently.

Head whipping around, Draco gaped at the smaller boy. "She told you about that?"

Shuffling uncomfortably, Henry worried that he had said too much. "Just that there was one and she fought in it and that's why she doesn't want to fight the Evil Queen if she doesn't have to."

"Well, seems she's gotten past that," Draco snorted. Gold stared coldly at him until he sighed and added, "She helped save me from going to prison, where I most certainly would have died, and magic doesn't forget. That's why they sent me."

Rumpelstiltskin relaxed. "I see." His mind raced to fit Draco into his proper place. The boy obviously didn't want to be here, but magic forced him to stay until his debt to Hermione was repaid. He would help her when she needed it, but otherwise stay as uninvolved as possible. "And that led you to my shop how exactly?"

Draco glared at him. "Don't play ignorant," he snapped. "You know exactly why I'm here; I can almost see the Dark Magic clinging on to you which means you're probably more familiar with it than anyone else in this pathetic little town."

Henry's eyes bounced back and forth between the two men. "What does Dark Magic have to do with anything?"

Grey eyes stayed locked onto brown, even as he threw up a spell to muffle their conversation from Henry. "You know what's happening to her, all you have to do is look at her to see it."

"Well," Rumpelstiltskin sneered. "Clearly you're a bit too familiar with Dark Magic as well if you can talk about it so easily, dearie." He glanced pointedly at Draco's folded arms. "And you're reeking of it far more than I am these days."

"What's going on?" Henry demanded, looking both worried and angry that he was being kept out of the conversation.

His wide eyes reminded Rumpelstiltskin of Bae's during the Ogre Wars. "Everything's alright, Henry," he reassured, speaking loudly so that Henry would hopefully be able to hear him over the spell.

"She won't be if you keep playing spectator," Draco broke in, glaring at the former "Dark One". He still wasn't totally sure what that title meant, but he certainly wasn't impressed. "I don't know just what she told you of our world, of our war, but let me bring you in on just how bad of a situation we're currently finding ourselves in: I was a soldier under the last Dark Lord, I served him for almost two years and my parents were his servants long before I was born. He was a cruel, vicious taskmaster who enjoyed torturing people for both their failings and their successes, and I am far more afraid of Granger than I ever was of him.

"The Dark Lord may have been insane, but there was a predictability in his madness. Granger isn't mad though- she's clever and she's far more powerful then she lets on. You'll never know just what she is going to do next because she's always four steps ahead while everyone else is falling two steps behind. Whatever goal she has in mind, she will achieve it and she will burn anyone who gets in her way."

"And what, exactly, are you hoping I can do about it?" Rumpelstiltskin inquired, though he already knew what it was the boy was after.

"Stop her obviously!" Draco snapped. "I'm not going anywhere near her while she's like this; I'm not dying for community service. For some reason, Granger seems to respect you so maybe you'll have a better chance of getting through to her. And, if not, well, you're old and judging from the state of this place, clearly have nothing to live for."

Rumpelstiltskin smiled then and it was laced with such malice that Draco couldn't help flinching back at the sight of it even as the other man leaned towards him. "You know, it really was quite foolish of you to come here and confront me without any knowledge of just what exactly I am. You may have served a Dark Lord, but I am the Dark One. I am what your Lord hoped to be but was far too weak and pathetic to ever become. So, instead of being cowering in fear at the idea of a Dark Hermione, you might want to be more scared of me because I am 400 years old and ripping your soul apart would be so easy for me to do, it wouldn't even be fun."

"He's right," came Emma's voice from the entryway and they turned to face the blond deputy, Sheriff Graham standing at her shoulder. "There's something wrong with Hermione." Locking eyes with Rumpelstiltskin, she told him, "I need your help. _She_ needs your help."

 _And all the kids cried out,_

 _"Please stop, you're scaring me"  
I can't help this awful energy  
God damn right, you should be scared of me  
Who is in control?_

"Where are you?" Regina snapped when whomever she was calling finally answered. Rolling her eyes at the response that was given to her on the other end of the line, Regina answered, "Yes, well, when I tell you that I'm going to be here at a certain time, I expect you to be there as well. Don't forget, you're working for me- not the other way around. If you can't do the job to my satisfaction, well, I'm sure I don't need to tell you just how easy it would be to find someone else who can." Smirking faintly at the groveling that was no doubt happening, Regina spoke again after a moment. "That's what I thought," and then she hung up.

Hermione silently came up behind the Mayor. While the vindictive part of her wanted Regina to know who it was that had come to stop her, wanted to see the look in her eyes when she finally understood how much more powerful Hermione was compared to her, logic had prevailed. Hermione hadn't meticulously planned this out, hadn't set things up to her exact specifications to ensure success. All she was doing was taking advantage of the situation offered to her.

It was a long drop to the bottom of the shaft and chances were high that the fall would kill Regina. But, should it not, Hermione didn't want the Mayor to be able to place the blame on her. If she couldn't have Regina out of the picture, then at least she would be able to leave her paranoid and terrified, constantly wondering who it was that had attacked her. Yes, Hermione would be an obvious suspect, but the Mayor had so many enemies that she wouldn't be the only one.

Reaching out, Hermione gave Regina a hard shove. The Mayor stumbled forward, arms flailing wildly as she attempted to regain her balance. Unfortunately for her, she had landed wrong on one of her heels and it had snapped, sending her tumbling head-first into the tunnel. Her screams echoed up the walls until it abruptly stopped, and a distant thudding sound could be heard.

Leaning forward, Hermione stared down into the darkened tunnel. Was Regina dead? She couldn't be sure from here and Regina was too far down for her to be able to cast a diagnostics spell to check. Even if Regina hadn't died from the fall, her untreated injuries would probably kill her in the next few hours.

Turning away, Hermione ran right into Rumpelstiltskin's chest. "And just what exactly do you think you're doing?" he hissed.

 _I'm well acquainted with villains that live in my head  
They beg me to write them so _

_They'll never die when I'm dead  
And I've grown familiar with villains that live in my head  
They beg me to write them so _

_I'll never die when I'm dead_

Rumpelstiltskin kept a firm hand on Hermione's arm as he marched her into the house. Emma came running into the hallway, face pale. Looking over Hermione for a moment, Emma turned to Rumpelstiltskin and asked, "Were we right? Was she…?"

"I found her at the tunnels but I was too late to stop her," he answered grimly. "Where's Henry and the Sheriff?"

"Henry's at the diner with Ruby and Granny keeping an eye on him and Graham left to assist the rescue team in getting Regina out."

"What?" Hermione jerked her arm away from Gold. "What do you mean he's helping to get Regina out? I thought he of all people would be overjoyed at the thought of never seeing Regina again."

"And at what cost?" Emma snapped, glaring at her sister. "Do you have any idea of what you've just done? What you just tried to do?"

"Obviously," Hermione sneered. "I'm taking care of the problem before things get any worse."

"Pretty it up all you like," Rumpelstiltskin said, moving further into the house and taking a seat in the living room. "But that doesn't change the fact that you tried to kill Regina while her back was turned. If you're desperate enough to kill someone, you should at least allow them to look into the eyes of their executioner."

"Her back was turned?" Emma repeated then said to Hermione, "You tried to kill her while her back was turned?!"

"Does it matter?" the brunette asked. "Either way, she's out of the picture and out of our lives. How did you even figure out what I was doing?"

Emma gaped at her. "Does it matter? _Does it matter?_ Of course it matters! You are not a murderer, Hermione. This isn't you. Do you have any idea what it was like, hearing from Draco Malfoy that you were going Dark? To have Thomas confirm my worst fears?"

"How would you know?!" Hermione shouted. "How would you know who I am?! I spent a year living in the shadows because I was being hunted as the second most-wanted person in all of Wizarding Britain and what- you think I made it out of there with pristine hands? I didn't. I fought and I killed and I don't regret it."

Clenching her jaw at the reminder of what her sister had endured, Emma finally choked out. "That was different- that was a war and you did what it took to survive."

"So is this," Hermione stated softly.

Shaking her head, Emma tried to reason, "We're not at war."

"Not yet," Hermione shot back. "But we will be if nothing is done!"

"And murder's the solution?" her sister demanded. "Killing Regina while her back was turned is what you deemed a winning move?"

Hermione stared at Emma with large, pain-filled eyes. "Is that really what you think about me? That I'm viewing this like some sort of game? This isn't about winning! This isn't about proving my superiority! This is about stopping the problem before things get out of hand!"

Emma just didn't understand- couldn't understand. For Emma, there was always a right and a wrong. She had never been forced to see just how dark things could be- hadn't seen just how much mercy and chances could cost.

Pacing back and forth, Hermione ran her hands through her hair and tugged at her curls, using the pain to center herself. If only Emma had read the book- if only she believed what Henry was saying- then she would know why this was necessary. Regina had caused far too much pain and suffering to everyone she came contact with. She had ruined the lives of so many- just look at Graham. She had ripped out his heart; she'd forced him to become her puppet and raped him for years.

Some people deserved the chance at redemption. But others had already passed the point of no return. Regina had taken every second chance offered her and spat on it in response. She was already condemned to die! She had already been judged and found guilty!

Finally finding her voice again, Hermione spat, "Everyone's always so content to just sit around and do nothing until they're backed into a corner with nowhere to go and then, then they start fighting back. And then afterwards, they all wonder how things got to that point. I _refuse_ to stand by and do nothing. I won't wait until Regina's made her move, won't wait to see which one of us she tries to pick off first. I will do whatever it takes to keep us safe."

Emma broke down then, tears starting to fall down her face. "I'm sorry," she cried. "I'm sorry I failed you."

"What?" Hermione was thrown, panicked at the sight of her big sister's tears and the unexpected turn in conversation. "When did you fail me? You didn't fail me."

"Yes, I did. Clearly I did because if I hadn't, you wouldn't be standing in front of me justifying why you should have been allowed to bury Regina alive!" Emma roughly wiped her cheeks with the back of her hands. "You came to me, you told me what was happening in Magical Britian, and I let you walk away. Walk right back into the trenches. I should have stopped you, I should have saved you. I could have made you stay with me. But I didn't and I always have to live with that. But I won't make that same mistake again.

"I will not fail you again. Killing Regina is the wrong way out- it's the coward's way out. You are not in charge here, it is not your responsibility to decide who lives and who dies."

"You are absolutely right," Hermione agreed, hands on her hips, "it's not. It was Snow White and Prince Charming's job to stop her and they failed and here we are."

"Here we are," Emma echoed. "In civilized America. This isn't the Hunger Games! It is not every man for themselves, not kill or be killed. And I swear to God, I will not let you keep going down this road even if I have to drag you kicking and screaming off the path."

Rumpelstiltskin finally broke in, having had enough of standing quietly in the background. "While I do admire your ingenuity, your sister is right. You are heading down a very dark, very dangerous path."

Hermione laughed. "Odd warning to be coming from the Dark One."

"I am the Dark One, which is why I know better than most that this isn't something you want to do." Rumpelstiltskin kept his voice calm and even. This was a pivotal moment- either they would save Hermione, or they would lose her further into the Darkness. "You may not think that your current actions could be called truly Dark, but you would be mistaken. Dark magic is like a drug. Take cigarettes for example. When a person smokes for the first time, it tends to make them ill. They'll generally feel disgusted with themselves and question why anyone would willingly take on such a vile habit. But then, the more they smoke, the less discomfort they tend to feel and the positive reactions they experience become increasingly obvious.

"Several days ago, the night of the party at the Nolan's house, you suddenly fell ill for no particular reason. Did you, by any chance, perform an act of magic that some would consider to be Dark?"

Hermione watched him for a moment, expression blank. "Possibly," she finally answered, tone conveying a slight discomfort.

"The wards," Emma whispered. "You put up the wards on the house."

"Let me guess," Gold started, with a faintly mocking edge, "some of those protection spells didn't come widely recommended by your world's authorities."

"I didn't do anything wrong," Hermione snapped, shoulders tense. "They weren't Dark."

"Maybe not totally Dark," Rumpelstiltskin allowed. "But Dark enough. Enough to cause your inherent magic to react negatively to the Darkness introduced to it. And since then, when you've performed a spell that crossed that line you so carefully stayed behind your entire life, you've felt some discomfort mixed in with a rush of euphoria at the knowledge that you can now take down any threat standing in your way."

He stepped forwards, moving so that he was right in front of Hermione. "I know all of that, because I've stood where you now. I was weak and helpless, so I turned to Dark magic in order to save myself and the people I loved. I became the Dark One. But before I was the Dark One, I had no magic. Unlike you, I was truly unable to protect myself- a cripple in a time of war. My body took to the Darkness with ease because it had never experienced anything else. Yours has, and therefore will fight against you at every turn. If you go down this road, if you give in, there's no guarantees that you'll make it to the other side."

Opening her mouth, Hermione prepared to tell Rumpelstiltskin that she didn't care about making it to the other side if it meant that Regina wouldn't make it either and where exactly he could shove his warnings. Then she saw her sister's face.

"Please," Emma begged. "Please don't do this. Please don't leave me again. I promise I'll be better. Just… don't go."

It was like a dagger in the heart.

 _I promise I'll be better._

Those were words that Hermione was sure would haunt her till the day she died. Emma didn't need to be better. Emma was beautiful and wonderful and everything Hermione had ever wanted to be. She was bold and witty and never let anything hold her back, had walked through the fire and come out all the stronger for it.

Hermione had done this, she was responsible for putting that look on Emma's face. For making her sister doubt herself.

It finally clicked. Hermione had done this. She had hurt Emma _again_. She'd failed to protect her family _again._

She stumbled backwards, hands covering her face. How pathetic was she, to fall so easily into the trap of Dark magic? To blindly stumble down that rabbit hole with no fear as to the consequences waiting for her below.

 _Pathetic. Worthless. Ignorant. Filthy Mudblood._

 _I'm bigger than my body  
I'm colder than this home  
I'm meaner than my demons  
I'm bigger than these bones_

"No." Emma grabbed Hermione's hands, ripping them away. "Don't you dare. Don't you dare listen to whatever voices are in your head right now. Fuck them. Fuck people like Bellatrix or Umbridge or Malfoy or whoever the hell you're listening to right now. You are Hermione Granger. You are the daughter of Henry and Jean Granger. You are _my_ sister and I am so proud of you. I am so lucky to have you as a sister.

"You are better than this, you are the strongest person I've ever known. You don't need Dark magic. Going Dark is taking the easy way out for you and that's something you've never needed to do because you are the cleverest person I know. I'll always believe in you, even if you can't believe in yourself right now."

Hermione shook her head frantically. "But I'm not anymore! You keep speaking as though you know who I am now but you don't! I don't even know who I am anymore!"

Gold's cell phone rang and he stepped out of the room to answer it.

"I know you've been feeling lost since the end of the war," Emma started softly.

"Stop, Emma, just stop! You don't know, you can't know. You… you want me to tell you what happened and let you reassure me that it's all okay and it's not! It's not okay and you will _never_ be able to understand what I went through and what I saw and what I thought. No matter how long I talk or how I detailed I go, you will never be able to comprehend anything that happened to me so why bother? What good is talking going to do?

"I am broken and you can't fix me. And more than that, I don't think I want you to." If Emma were to fix Hermione, to help put her back together again, then she would be putting more of herself in Emma's hands. Emma would be able to take what was left of the broken bits that was Hermione and she couldn't let anyone have that much of her.

"That was the Sheriff," Gold broke in, stepping back into the room.

Emma wiped her cheeks and turned to look at him. "Did they find Regina? Is she…"

"She's alive," he answered, looking at Hermione to see her reaction.

 _She's alive?_ Hermione didn't know whether or not to laugh or cry. Regina was alive. The Evil Queen lived to see another day.

"Thank god," Emma sighed, turning back to Hermione. "See, everything's going to be fine. You didn't kill her."

"You think that the fact that she's alive wipes the slate clean?" Hermione asked, face carefully blank. "That just because she didn't die means that it's alright that I wanted to kill her? It doesn't. All it means is that she's still a problem we're eventually going to have to deal with." Rumpelstiltskin was right, killing Regina while her back was turned had been cowardly. It was the work of someone ashamed of their actions. Hermione wasn't ashamed of the fact that she knew that Regina needed to die- she was just disappointed in how she went about it.

She would have to do better next time and that was fine- she's Hermione Granger.

Emma's eyes hardened and she transformed from concerned big sister to will-of-steal law enforcement officer in a heartbeat. "There's no we here. Until I can be sure that you're not going to go running around taking matters into your own hands, you're not going anywhere."

Rumpelstiltskin's eyes glittered as he stared between the two girls. "Well, this should be fun."

 _And all the kids cried out,_

 _"Please stop, you're scaring me"  
I can't help this awful energy  
God damn right, you should be scared of me  
Who is in control?_

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